MDC-T vice-president Thokozani Khupe has warned that opposition supporters were prepared to spill their own blood in defence of next year’s election results, adding they would not allow President Robert Mugabe to govern through a stolen mandate.

Addressing hundreds of potential registrants in Mabvuku, Harare, Khupe, who is leading the opposition party’s voter registration mobilisation campaign, said Zanu PF would regret if they tried to steal next year’s general elections.

“Some people are saying they will not vote because the election will be rigged by Zanu PF. Rest assured, this time around, we are not going to allow that to happen. We will vote and thereafter defend our vote by whatever means necessary. We are going to fight with the last drop of our blood, the last drop of our sweat and the last drop of our tears, because we cannot let this suffering continue,” an animated Khupe said to wild cheers from MDC-T supporters.

Khupe warned that MDC-T would not allow the scenario which played out in 2008 to repeat itself, saying her party leader Morgan Tsvangirai, despite being in and out of hospital, would win the presidential race.

The voter registration exercise has been marred by apathy, mostly in urban areas.

Khupe also said Tsvangirai would soon be back in the driving seat to lead the country into economic prosperity, mocking the Zanu PF false promises to create 2,2 million jobs.

“State House belongs to a person who can change your lives, who can ensure that proper jobs are created for your children and yourselves so that you can have a sense of self-esteem and dignity and that person is president Morgan Tsvangirai . . . This time around, we are bringing change and we won’t fail,” she said.

Khupe was accompanied by the party’s proportional representation MP Lwazi Sibanda, who was issuing out commissioned affidavits to registrants. Newsday