Chamisa returns, launches Agenda 2026 to push for ‘fresh start’

HARARE – Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on Friday formally returned to frontline politics, unveiling what he termed Agenda 2026, a citizen-driven roadmap he says is aimed at resetting Zimbabwe after years of crisis, disputed elections and governance failure.

Addressing the press, Chamisa said he had stepped back for nearly two years hoping “someone else would occupy the dance floor,” but found the space vacant.

“I am back on the floor to dance for my nation, for the citizens and for the future,” he declared, describing Zimbabwe as being at a “critical juncture.”

Chamisa painted a bleak picture of a country gripped by economic hardship, political uncertainty, social breakdown and what he called moral decay, arguing that the promise of independence had failed to translate into dignity, shared prosperity or opportunity.

He said state institutions had been “partisanised,” deepening national disunity and eroding public trust.

Central to his message was the assertion that Zimbabwe’s core problem remains a governance crisis rooted in disputed elections, stolen mandates, corruption and state capture.

He rejected calls to “move on,” insisting unresolved flaws must be corrected to avoid repeating past failures.

Agenda 2026, he said, represents a “clean break” from past compromises and is not about personalities or parties, but citizens.

He outlined five priorities: building a new national consensus, reclaiming citizen agency, preparing for a future citizens’ government, driving a moral and values revolution, and mounting a robust international advocacy campaign through regional bodies such as Sadc and Zimbabweans in the diaspora.

Chamisa called for unity, grassroots mobilisation and peaceful action, stressing that the next 180 days would focus on institutional and legal groundwork rather than rallies.

“Zimbabwe needs a fresh start,” he said.

“The new dawn begins with us.” — _*NewsDay*_