I’m back, says Chamisa 

Former opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, has announced his comeback into fulltime politics, saying he will never abandon Zimbabweans who believe in him to challenge Zanu PF’s continued stay in power. Chamisa said Zimbabweans wanted change before criticising a plot by some Zanu PF members to have President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term of office extended from 2028 to 2030.

Mnangagwa has repeatedly said that he is a constitutionalist, and does not intend to have his term of office extended.

Chamisa, however, said the 2030 agenda was “nonsense”.

“Over two million Zimbabweans have shown their consistent trust and support, and I appreciate that,” Chamisa told The Standard yesterday.

“I will never betray these great Zimbabweans.

“The whole 2030 nonsense is a desperate attempt to avoid the people, and a desperate attempt to avoid the elections.

“It is an attempt to create a window for further destroying an otherwise beautiful country.”

Zanu PF adopted a resolution at its annual conference last year to have the constitution amended to extend Mnangagwa’s term of office despite the president having publicly expressed himself on the matter.

Chamisa last year took a “sabbatical” from politics after self-styled Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) secretary-general, Sengezo Tshabangu, snatched the party from him.

He had launched the CCC in January 2022 after dumping the MDC Alliance.

Tshabangu went on to recall a number of CCC legislators, resulting in costly byelections that saw Zanu PF regaining a two-thirds majority.

He has been dismissed as a Zanu PF proxy, a charge he denies.

“Leaving the CCC is different from leaving the people of Zimbabwe whom I so deeply respect and value,” Chamisa said.

A few CCC lawmakers such as Fadzayi Mahere also quit the opposition party in solidarity with Chamisa.

“I left the old vehicle only because Zanu PF had captured and compromised it,” Chamisa said.

“As a matter of principle, leaving the old vehicle was necessary because people now know who is and who.

“It’s now so clear who is with the people and who is not.

“It admits of no debate as to who is clean and who is not. All their true colours are out there in the open.

“The old vehicle had, by manipulation, become a creation and poodle of Zanu PF.”

Chamisa had no kind words for Mnangagwa, accusing him of misgovernance.

“After the 2018 and 2023 elections, my competitor, Mr Mnangagwa, never forgave the people for voting against him and his party; he instead has gone to punish the people with high taxes, deadening impoverishment, rampant corruption, mis-governance, poor services and untold suffering,” he alleged.

“The people of Zimbabwe have consistently voted for change. And that reality doesn’t change on account of repetition of a lie.

“Mnangagwa was not elected in 2023 although he was declared the winner in a disputed election.

“The election results were condemned by Zimbabweans, Sadc and all international bodies.”

Chamisa has twice contested Mnangagwa in the presidential elections.

In both the 2018 and 2023 elections, Chamisa alleged vote fraud and refused to accept the results. The Standard