The opposition candidate in Zimbabwe’s presidential election, Nelson Chamisa, has declared that he is the winner of the vote and he will not accept the country’s election commission awarding a “fraudulent” victory to his rival Emmerson Mnangagwa and “neither will the people”.

The warning by the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), with the announcement of the result imminent, has added fuel to an already combustible situation after an eruption of violence on Wednesday in which six people were shot dead by troops after running battles in the streets.

Mr Chamisa repeatedly stated the public would take direct action if Mr Mnangagwa is declared the winner: “If they find that their vote has been ignored, they did not vote for ED Mnangagwa and they wil not accept him being imposed as the president. We do not control the people, they will do what they think is right,” he said.

He also dismissed the idea of making a legal challenge the election result. “That would be a slippery path. When you go into the court you are going into the lion’s den. We are not going to be a meal for the lions”, he said.

Amid rising acrimony the police raided the MDC headquarters on Thursday, arrested a number of people and took away computers. The operation was part of a crackdown following the clashes between the security forces and crowds protesting against the election commission announcing that the ruling Zanu-PF party had won a parliamentary poll by a large majority.

Mr Chamisa and other opposition leaders are being investigated, according to a warrant of suspected “possession of dangerous weapons” and encouraging “public violence”. But the real reason for the raid, Mr Chamisa claimed, was to remove evidence the party has discovered of vote rigging by Mr Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF. “But don’t worry, the evidence has already been taken to a safe house,” he said.

Zanu-PF officials have denied claims of vote manipulation.

Zimbabwe election: Shots fired at protesting crowds in Harare as violence escalates

Just hours to go before the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) is due to announce the winner after a bitter and acrimonious campaign, Mr Chamisa insisted that the figures collated by the MDC showed that he was the clear winner. He did not, however, want to give out the figures because “it would be illegal and I don’t want to break the law”.

The MDC has repeatedly accused the ZEC of allowing rigging, but with Zanu-PF winning a parliamentary majority, Mr Chamisa said his party “have accepted that result”.

But he alleged that ZEC has continued with malpractice “and receives its orders from others”. The publication of the presidential results have been deliberately delayed, he claimed, to allow subterfuge to take place.

“Mr Mnangagwa knows it that he has lost this election. If he had won this election the result will have been announced long back but they are trying to massage the figures to try to advance fictitious and fallacious results. We know the results,” Mr Chamisa said.

In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Show all 55 1 /55 In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate after officials announced the re-election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters celebrate at the Harare International Convention Centre in the early hours Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the announcement EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters sing and dance soon after the results of the Presidential elections were announced at the Harare International Convention Centre EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor sells sponges near newspaper headlines on the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the newly reelected Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa celebrate in Mbare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election People in Mbare celebrate Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man reads a Zimbabwean newspaper the day after the violence on the streets of Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier fires shots towards demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man reacts at the sight of soldiers while taking shelter in a stall at a market in Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) light a fire in the streets of Harare. Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire to disperse crowds of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change supporters outside the party's headquarters in Harare REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Opposition MDC party supporters hold a voting placard up high on a street in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of Zimbabwean opposition MDC Alliance allegedly beaten up by soldiers sits with blood on his face as other protesters assist him AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A vendor scurries for cover with her wares as soldiers disperse demonstrators AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A wounded man hides under a tarpauling while the Zimbabwean Army patrols the streets of Harare AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Anti-riot police officers close the entrance to the Rainbow Towers, where the election results were announced in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers open fire on citizens REUTERS In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run the Zimbabwean army during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) protest the result of the election, which they allege to be fraudulent Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A soldier assaults a man on the streets of Harare during protests AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean anti riot police officers sit in a truck amidst protesters on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Citizens run from riot police amidst protests in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Soldiers patrol the streets during protests in Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A Zimbabwean soldier beats a man on the streets of Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man lies dead after the Zimbabwean army shot at protesters in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition party protests in the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean soldiers beats an opposition supporter on the streets of Harare Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition protest in the streets of Harare as police fire tear gas Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition burn a campaign banner of the ruling Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Mbare, a suburb of Zimbabwean capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer keeps watch of queuing voters in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Election officials remove political posters near a polling station on voting day Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa arrives at a polling station in Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Oppostion leader Nelson Chamisa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa arrives to cast his vote in Kwekwe Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa casts his vote AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters stand in line outside a polling station in Kwekwe AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays outside a polling station in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Voters arrive at a polling station in Harare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe prepares to cast his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in Mbare, a suburb of capital Harare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman casts her vote in the township of Makokoba Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A police officer casts his vote in Mbare Getty In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A woman prays near a polling station in Mbare EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A man casts his vote in Harare AP In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Former president Robert Mugabe speaks at a press conference the day before the vote where he stated that he would not be voting for his former Zanu-PF party Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election A supporter of the opposition MDC party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 Reuters In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA In pictures: Zimbabwe votes in historic election Supporters of the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party attends the final campaign rally in Harare on July 28 EPA

A desperate Zanu-PF government, he claimed, was “using the tactics of Robert Mugabe” as was shown by the killing of protestors. “This government does not respect life,” he said and demanded that those responsible for ordering the shooting be prosecuted, implying this may include Mr Mnangagwa, who has been the acting president since the overthrow of Mr Mugabe.

“The ranks of those responsible don’t come into it. How far does it go, does it include the commander-in-chief? Does it include the highest in the land? Who ordered the army to turn its guns on the people?” Mr Chamisa asked. “I have visited all those injured and bereaved families, they weren’t even MDC members, but people protesting against vote rigging. And those kinds of protests will continue if they think there is further vote rigging.”

Mr Mnangagwa has accused Mr Chamisa of whipping up violence with his rhetoric and, as accusations and counter accusations continue, there is sense of foreboding in Zimbabwe’s capital about what lies ahead.