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NELSON CHAMISA

My Turn with Tichaona Zindoga
So Nelson Chamisa was the biggest loser at the just-ended MDC-T congress, which was largely a non-event? Chamisa, a young, eloquent, photogenic and charismatic fellow, lost to unfancied Douglas Mwonzora for the post of party secretary general.

As we speak, Chamisa is an ordinary card carrying member of the opposition party led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

That is how far the man who was billed to take over from the uninspiring, unlettered, uncharismatic and, sorry to say, un-photo/telegenic Tsvangirai, has fallen.

There has been a mixed reaction to Chamisa’s fall, with an equal measure of sympathy and celebration.

Chamisa used to be Tsvangirai’s blue-eyed boy and in March this year, as in a couple of other occasions, he told us that Tsvangirai was a godsend.

Here is what he said: “In a struggle there is a commander, others are lieutenants and no lieutenant should say they want to be a commander. If you dream while sleeping on top of a mountain that you want to be leader, we say no to that. He is the founding father of democracy in Zimbabwe, the doyen of constitutionalism. You can’t replace a person chosen by God. Let’s keep on feeding into River Save so that even Gushungo can be swept away.”

But Chamisa’s fall is said to have been engineered by none other than the un-photogenic one who saw a threat in the young leader.

The kitchen cabinet of the same ill-favoured one (to use a Shakespearean expression) is also said to have been unhappy with the prospect of Chamisa eventually taking over from the man they have been sponsoring and controlling even in the bedroom.

They reportedly bought votes against Chamisa and manipulated the electors.

On the other hand, Tsvangirai, apparently after learning of Chamisa’s ambitions, had two strategies at his disposal: one, to boot out Chamisa at congress — which he did.

Had Chamisa won, he would have no power because Tsvangirai had pushed for the amendment of the party constitution to weaken the position of the secretary general.

Clever Tsvangirai!

Chamisa was used to push out all potential threats to Morgan, including Elias Mudzuri and Tendai Biti, only to be kicked out himself!

That’s politics.

Operators like Morgan Tsvangirai, even if they do not look smart enough, know the game well: it is about interests and self-preservation.

Should we cry or laugh at Nelson Chamisa?

Given the way he has fallen, and how he has sulked, maybe sleeping with his shoes on and refusing food and to be comforted, you cannot begrudge him a little human sympathy.

And those who like poster boys in politics will surely be disappointed with the turn of events — so will be the Americans (and British, perhaps) who saw a potential opposition leader in Chamisa.

Those sympathetic to him have been suggesting that he lies low, further his education, go to America to study and come back to take over the MDC.

Yet there is a fundamental problem with Chamisa and the brand of politics he chose to follow: Western-sponsored, reactionary and ultimately treacherous politics whose real purpose is to subvert the cause of the revolutionary struggles in Zimbabwe — past and present.

He has been part of the MDC that is being sponsored by racist and evil countries, individuals and organisations to ensure that this country regresses to colonialism and foreign control.

All the suffering that has been inflicted on the people of Zimbabwe, including via sanctions, had both agency and end in venal people like Chamisa.

And Chamisa would prevaricate on the issues of sanctions and the unwanted foreign hand.

Americans wanted him, and may yet further groom him, because they saw in him a potential leader of the opposition and ultimately, the country.

Christopher Dell complained about the daftness of Morgan Tsvangirai and stated that regime change would have been achieved with thicker talent than that which had been dealt the Americans in the MDC.

That Chamisa would have charisma and eloquence and leadership qualities even, in fact makes him quite a little devil himself — a smooth and varnished devil at that, as Dickens would suggest.

His qualities would be deployed to the same ends as those of the roaring devil like Tsvangirai — to sell out this country.

It would be worthwhile to dwell a bit on the image of the devil.

Those familiar with the politics of the opposition MDC-T will tell you that Chamisa has been nicknamed “Cobra” because of a perception that he is evil, cunning and a scheming character.

Those in the Biti camp are said to have popularised that name but internally, too, his opponents have been referring to him as such.

Imagine the joy the guy who wrote this on Facebook felt at seeing the back of the Cobra: “He (Mwonzora) has a high level of maturity and love. He is a unifier. He is so humble that you feel pity for him. He has no time for rumour mongering. He has no time to plot dirty against colleagues in the party. He is full of wisdom. He talks less and act (sic) most of the time.”

One can glean all sorts of bad attributes in Chamisa from the above: high level of immaturity, hate, haughtiness, rumour-mongering (so bad especially in a man!), plotting, foolish, and one who talks and doesn’t act.

A note on the very last attribute.

A considerable number of his party’s members and supporters blamed Chamisa for the defeat in last year’s elections, and Phillan Zamchiya of the University of Oxford, who worked with the MDC-T in the run up to the elections, dedicated a good part of a report on Chamisa, especially his rather foolish fixation on religion.

So something bad was going to catch up with Chamisa, for better or for worse.

But does all this matter to those of us who detest the thrust and content of opposition politics in the country?

No, although the observing eye would always be on the lookout for something interesting; something exciting, which the latest edition of the MDC congress was not.

And if the opposition decides to shoot itself in the foot?

That will be a godsend indeed!

Now we wait with bated breath what Morgan Tsvangirai will do with his party and the power he gave himself; the party whose name and assets he has finally secured to make sure that no one holds him accountable or, worse still, can boot him out of his pet project.

By the way did Tsvangirai not also add a clause in the party constitution to the effect that, “The President may, from time to time and as he sees fit, withdraw monies from the party’s accounts for the purposes of marrying another wife, paying for damages, cruise in high seas or otherwise as he deems fit”?

We would be surprised if he didn’t.