Zimbabwe’s prominent opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, declared his commitment to remaining in the political arena. This statement follows his recent departure from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), a party he founded two years ago, citing government infiltration.
Despite facing an electoral defeat in August against President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom he accused of election fraud, Chamisa expressed his readiness for a “new thrust” after parting ways with the CCC on Thursday. Speaking from an office garden in Harare, he emphasized his determination, stating, “I am definitely not quitting because winners don’t quit. And quitters never win.”
Chamisa decided to exit the coalition party due to alleged hijacking by the ruling ZANU-PF party, describing the move as drawing “a line in the sand” to mark a break with the past. “A break with the past is also a signal to the commencement of the future. We are saying enough is enough,” he remarked, without revealing the name of his new political entity, only hinting at “a new approach, a new way, a fresh start.”
While President Mnangagwa secured a second term in office, defeating the 45-year-old Chamisa, international observers criticized the election, asserting that it fell short of democratic standards. The ZANU-PF also gained a majority in parliament but fell a few seats short of the required two-thirds majority to alter the constitution.
Political tensions have escalated since then, with numerous opposition lawmakers losing their seats in what analysts believe is an artificially induced political crisis. This crisis was triggered by an obscure figure declaring himself the CCC’s “interim secretary general,” leading to the recall of lawmakers and subsequent by-elections favoring the ZANU-PF.
Chamisa, no stranger to such challenges, previously lost a disputed election to Mnangagwa in 2018 as the leader of the long-standing opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). In 2022, facing factional disputes and legal issues attributed to ZANU-PF, he formed the CCC. Keeping party structures secret to avoid external interference, critics argue that this secrecy allowed the current crisis to unfold.
A former pastor and lawyer, Chamisa acknowledged the lessons learned from these experiences, stating, “We’ve learned our ways. We’ve seen that we’re dealing with a toxic and dangerous ruling party.” Emphasizing a commitment to a different political approach, he concluded, “So we will not repeat that same mistake. We’ll do our politics in a different way.”
