HARARE – The beleaguered former Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has criticized the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for endorsing President Emmerson Mnangagwa as its new chairman, accusing the regional bloc of legitimizing a disputed presidency.
Mnangagwa assumed the SADC chairmanship in a ceremony held at Zimbabwe’s New Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, near Harare, after being handed the reins by Angola’s President João Lourenço.
Chamisa, the former president of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC), took to social media to express his discontent with the development. In a scathing post, he questioned the integrity of SADC, asking whether it was a “community of values or a union of vices.” He criticized the regional bloc for failing to uphold ethical standards and described it as “irrelevant and outmoded” if it could not be trusted to ensure fairness and justice.
Chamisa has been vocal in his belief that Mnangagwa’s victory in Zimbabwe’s 2023 presidential election was fraudulent, with the results allegedly manipulated by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) in favour of the incumbent. He had previously engaged with SADC in the hope that the regional organization would address the disputed election, but those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
The opposition leader used the occasion to call for SADC to transform into a “community of values” and a protector of the oppressed, rather than a “club of the oppressive and abusive.” Chamisa, who has recently stepped back from active leadership of the CCC, vowed to push for change across Africa, urging citizens of Southern Africa to “shape this world.”
Chamisa’s criticisms were further amplified by the absence of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema from the SADC Summit, which some have attributed to a diplomatic spat between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Earlier this year, Mnangagwa accused Zambia of cooperating with foreign powers to establish military bases that threatened Zimbabwe, a claim that strained relations between the two countries. Hichilema chose to attend the summit virtually, delegating the in-person responsibilities to Zambian Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe.
Zambian Socialist Party President Fred M’membe criticized Hichilema’s decision to skip the summit, accusing him of diplomatic recklessness and undermining regional solidarity. M’membe described Hichilema as a “puppet” of foreign interests, warning that Zambia’s absence from the summit would weaken its influence in regional matters.
M’membe also drew parallels to past diplomatic crises between Zimbabwe and Zambia, arguing that Hichilema should have handled the situation with the same wisdom and maturity shown by former leaders. He warned that Hichilema’s approach could lead to isolation and further diplomatic tensions within the region.