Let’s be blunt – Nelson Chamisa is ZANUPF’s biggest political blessing since the demise of Morgan Tsvangirai on Valentine’s Day of 2018. And unlike Tsvangirai, who posed a genuine challenge, Chamisa is the kind of opposition figure ruling parties across the world can only dream of. Whether you view him as a confused amateur or a well-packaged pawn planted to fail – the outcome remains the same: ZANUPF stays in power, focused, steady, and unbothered.
By Dereck Goto
We couldn’t have written a better script ourselves.
Chamisa burst onto the political scene with noise and hashtags, promising “new” politics. What followed, however, was a spectacular collapse of anything resembling real leadership. Instead of building a structured, credible political outfit, he insisted on a “structureless” movement – no constitution, no congress, no elected leadership. Just him, God, and vibes. The result? Chaos. It took one Sengezo Tshabangu – not even from the ruling party – to completely dismantle Chamisa’s CCC from within, using legal channels, not rallies, not door-to-door campaigns, not even persuasion. All it took was a little paperwork and Chamisa’s own empty cupboard of documentation. The High Court did not even need to strain itself – the facts were there: CCC was built on sand.
Now, only someone trying very hard not to see it would miss what’s going on here. How does a supposedly serious opposition leader fail so comprehensively, repeatedly, and conveniently – every single time ZANUPF is gaining momentum and public confidence? There’s a growing belief, and rightly so, that Chamisa is not just incompetent – he’s compromised. Paid. Sponsored. Propped up as a safety valve for restless urban voters to shout into, while ZANUPF governs the country in peace.
Look at the evidence. He’s never questioned like others. He moves freely while real firebrands like Job Sikhala, Jacob Ngarivhume and Hopewell Chin’ono account for their misbehaviour in jail. He avoids confrontation with real power. And every election cycle, he somehow manages to divide the opposition, boycott where he should fight, and fold when he should stand. Every. Single. Time. Surely this is by design.
What true opposition leader loses his own party to an unknown secretary-general and simply walks away without a fight? What politician, unless they’re working to neutralise opposition energy by design, surrenders without even trying to rally legal (remember the opposition is fronted almost exclusively by lawyers) or grassroots resistance?
Chamisa’s apologists will say he’s strategic. No. He’s either a fraud, or the most conveniently foolish politician in Africa. Take your pick. Either way, ZANUPF wins.
Then there’s his personality – arguably his most fatal flaw. Unlike money, which Chamisa can one day choose to refuse as it comes from those compromising him within ZANUPF, his personality is fixed. He was born and bred with it. He behaves like a god-ordained messiah, not a team player. The great minds that once stood beside him – Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, Job Sikhala – all fell out with him not because of policy, but because he cannot stand to share the spotlight. He sees competition as betrayal and intellect as a threat. That’s why he surrounds himself with yes-men and praise-singers, and never holds internal elections. Democracy in his camp is a sermon, not a practice.
Which works perfectly… for ZANUPF.
As long as Chamisa is at the helm, the opposition will remain weak, fragmented, and amateurish. He is an expert at taking momentum and turning it into nothing. While our President, Cde E.D. Mnangagwa, drives development through road rehabilitation, industrial growth, re-engagement diplomacy, and Vision 2030, Chamisa is still shouting about “God is in it” without a plan, a structure, or a viable alternative policy.
Let’s be honest: the reason ZANUPF remains unshaken is because the opposition’s biggest voice is also its weakest link.
This is why, to many within the ruling party, Chamisa is not feared. He is cherished. The opposition rallies around a man who thinks elections are won on X (formerly Twitter), not in the polling booth. A man who confuses messianic speeches for policy positions. A man who collapses his own party, walks away, then blames the courts.
We could not have crafted a more convenient opponent.
Tsvangirai, for all his flaws, was a fighter. He had structure, strategy, and guts. Chamisa has hashtags, staged prayers, and courtroom surrender. So yes – we thank the Lord for this divine intervention. Chamisa is, quite frankly, the opposition’s worst nightmare and ZANUPF’s greatest gift.
And while he continues fumbling, we’ll continue building. Brick by brick. Road by road. Project by project. Let Chamisa keep campaigning from pulpits and group chats.
ZANUPF will continue running the country. Ndiyo nzira yatakasarudza, Mwari vachitendera.
