A former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer now serving in the United States military has made explosive claims alleging that the army played a direct role in manipulating Zimbabwe’s 2018 and 2023 presidential elections.
Kelvin Muchineripi, who left Zimbabwe several years ago and is now based in the US, made the allegations in a video circulating on social media. In the recording, he claimed that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa won the 2018 presidential election and that the results were altered through military involvement.
“You did not win the 2018 elections, Chamisa is the one who won,” Muchineripi said, speaking in a mix of Shona and English. “Those who rigged the elections came from the army. They worked with the voters’ roll database. I can even mention names if necessary. Even in 2023, you did not win.”
Muchineripi alleged that senior military figures were involved in what he described as technical interference at database level, suggesting manipulation of the voters’ roll rather than isolated irregularities at polling stations.
His claims add to long-standing disputes over Zimbabwe’s electoral processes, which have been criticised by opposition parties and some international observers for alleged voter roll anomalies, intimidation and lack of transparency. However, direct allegations of military intelligence involvement in election data systems are rare and highly sensitive.
Muchineripi’s assertions have drawn attention partly because of his background. As a former commissioned officer in the ZNA, he claims to have had insider knowledge of military structures and operations before leaving the country and later joining the US armed forces.
The Zimbabwean government, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and the ZNA have consistently denied accusations of election rigging. Authorities have repeatedly maintained that elections were conducted in line with the law and that the military remains a professional, non-partisan institution. At the time of writing, no official response has been issued addressing Muchineripi’s specific claims.
Chamisa, who recently stepped away from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has long argued that victories in both the 2018 and 2023 elections were taken from him through state capture of key institutions. Muchineripi’s allegations echo these claims, though they remain untested and unverified.
The video has sparked intense debate online, with some calling for independent investigations while others have questioned Muchineripi’s motives and credibility.
