I couldn't believe what I was reading on Twitter the day Zimbabweans were voting. MDC's Nelson Chamisa was already announcing himself as the new leader of his country.

At the time, we were still reading about long queues of people waiting to vote. I've never heard of someone claiming victory that early.

Part of me told me that he wanted to play victim just in case things didn't go his way. In the run-up to the elections, he was still "deciding" on whether MDC would take part in the elections.

He has been nothing but a drama queen. I wasn't surprised that his followers took to the streets after it became clear his party hadn't performed the way he expected.

This is exactly what causes problems in Africa. Now people have lost their lives. I hope Chamisa is honest enough to take the blame for what happened in Harare.

He underestimated Zanu-PF. How does one underestimate a political party that has weathered so many storms? Zimbabweans I know have told me that Zanu-PF still commands strong following in rural areas.

What is worrying for us as South Africans is that we also have political leaders who do exactly what Chamisa is doing. We have leaders who have already proclaimed that they will win next year's elections. In all likelihood, we might experience the same thing that is happening in Zimbabwe.

Richardson Mzaidume, Pimville