HARARE – The embattled former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa remains firmly focused on addressing issues surrounding Zimbabwe’s disputed 2023 general elections, stating that these concerns must be resolved before any discussions about the 2028 elections can occur.
In an interview with NewsDay senior reporter Miriam Mangwaya, Chamisa declared the 2023 elections “null” and invalid. He emphasized that 2028 is not yet in the picture, arguing, “Talking about 2028 presupposes that we had 2023. But 2023 was a nullity, a void, and therefore does not exist. There was nothing, and nothing stands on nothing.”
Chamisa underscored the importance of pushing for electoral reforms to break the cycle of disputed elections in Zimbabwe. He used an analogy to explain his stance: “If you eat a meal and have stomach pains and diarrhea, do you say eating is bad? No! Eating an improper meal is bad. But don’t condemn eating because of one bad meal.”
Chamisa also voiced strong criticism of the government’s ongoing arrests of opposition activists and pro-democracy campaigners, describing the situation in Zimbabwe as resembling “a jungle.”
He added, “The crackdown, the arrests, the persecution remind us that those in office have overstayed their welcome and that they are the wrong ones.”
For the first time since the founding of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999, Chamisa is not currently affiliated with any political party. He resigned from the CCC in January, citing his belief that the party had been “contaminated” and “hijacked” by the ruling ZANU PF. Chamisa accused the government of using state institutions and bribery to weaken the opposition from within.