Numbers don’t add up in DRC election: SA and neighbours must step in – FT

LONDON — What looked like a suspicion of meddling by Joseph Kabila in the election that wrested power from his tight grasp, is now emerging as fact. Expert analysis of data published by the Financial Times points to massive election fraud. According to the data, the opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi anointed as the winner last week by the electoral commission could clearly not have been the winner. Another pointer to a power-sharing deal between Kabila and Tshisekedi is the pally pronouncements of Tshisekedi that Kabila is a "partner for change". South Africa and its neighbouring countries should step up the pressure on the DRC now, to ensure that votes that the Congolese cast in good faith, counts. They owe it to the people of the Congo that the lingering stench of another African autocrat goes away. –  Linda van Tilburg

By Thulasizwe Sithole

Kabila was supposed to vacate his office in December 2016, but it seems like many before him, he has engineered a deal that will ensure that he will remain close to power. Two sets of data published by the Financial Times believed to be sourced from the country's electoral commission's servers show that the former businessman and leader of the Lamuka opposition coalition won by several million votes. Felix Tshisekedi, a former fierce opponent of Kabila ended up a distant second.

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