Opposition politician Nelson Chamisa yesterday revealed that he had personally embarked on grassroots campaigns in villages to map his next political move and distanced himself from any other political party.
Chamisa stepped down as opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader in January, citing infiltration by Zanu PF after self-proclaimed party secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu went on a rampage to recall dozens of party legislators and councillors.
Despite, his exit from CCC, factions within the opposition party have continued associating themselves with him, with one of the factions being led by Welshman Ncube refusing to let go of his face as the party logo.
Chamisa’s close allies, led by former legislators Amos Chibaya and Gift Siziba have been criss-crossing the country, mobilising support on behalf of Chamisa under a campaign dubbed the Blue Movement.
But Chamisa told NewsDay in an exclusive interview, that he was not focusing on forming another political party, but on forming a new government.
“I have been meeting people,” said Chamisa. “I have been in the countryside. I am meeting people in villages, community leaders, opinion leaders and traditional leaders.
“I am meeting people personally and it is an amazing show of confidence and hope. People are so committed. Zimbabweans are prepared to whatever extent for change to be realised in Zimbabwe. It’s like the spirit of the liberation struggle indefatigable and indomitable. Zimbabwe needs a new government, not just a new movement. I am doing everything to make sure that I do not let the delayed hope and expectation of Zimbabwe be jeopardised. People have hope of change everywhere I go and I will not disappoint them.”
The young politician, who was also a former Cabinet minister in the 2009 to 2013 Government of National Unity, said he was courting regional and international support, to “urgently” resolve the country’s political crisis, after he refused to accept the August 23 and 24 election results in which President Emerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner.
After he resigned from the CCC, Chamisa met several diplomatic representatives in the country, including Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Adler Aristilde and British Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pete Vowles, to discuss various political issues.
“I am leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the will of the people prevails,” he said.
“As to what practical steps I am going to take, I am doing wide consultations with the citizens and opinion leaders. I will announce very soon what the next step is. What must come is something that cannot afford to fail, because we do not have that luxury.
“We have so many stones that have to be turned and these are local stakeholders, labour, the church, students, women’s groups, farmers groups, and traditional leaders, beyond our border and within the region Sadc [Southern African Development Community], AU [African Union] and all those stones need to be turned and I am glad that the response that I am getting from both within and beyond is amazing.”
The former CCC leader insisted Sadc was still seized with Zimbabwe’s political situation.
“There is an unresolved national question of leadership. It can’t be a closed chapter, when a student has failed an examination, it can’t be the end of the story. There must be a proper examination and proper qualification out of a system and process. Sadc passed the verdict that the Zimbabwe election did not pass the election credibility test. No discredited process can produce a credible outcome,” he told NewsDay.
Newsday
