Little known Raymond Chamba to challenge Mugabe, Tsvangirai

Little known Businessman Raymond Chamba last week declared his intention to run for Zimbabwe's presidential polls likely to be held either this year or in 2013.

Chamba, however, does not see himself as the next president of Zimbabwe. He says he wants to give his ideas to Zimbabweans so that they can make a choice to move away from the current politics which he said border on pettiness..

"The coddling of mediocrity and denigration of excellence has desecrated the hopes of our forefathers and dreamers thereafter. Let's stop normalizing the abnormal, the grotesque political freak-show that is the GNU as presently constructed. Political pimps, old ringmasters, petty egoists and narrow ethno-centrists need to be put to pasture," said Chamba.

Chamba, a former Zanu-PF supporter like Simba Makoni, Morgan Tsvangirai, Dumiso Dabengwa, wants to slug it out against President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube (MDC), Dumiso Dabengwa (ZAPU), Simba Makoni (Mavambo-Kusile-Dawn) and other presidential aspirants likely to emerge this year.

Chamba, who is based in the United States of America said he is going to mount a media campaign that will see him being publicly endorsed by American hip-hop mega stars and evangelists.

Chamba who expressed his admiration of incumbent president Robert Mugabe said that he remains Zanu PF inside his heart but decried the factionalism in the old party which he said has led to factionalism.

The talkative presidential hopeful who is 41 said that he is ready for elections to end the current dispensation which he said is dominated by seasoned clowns.

He said his focus was firmly on the presidency, declaring that he will give other presidential aspirants a run for their money.

While his character and staying power would be tested at the polls, he nonetheless joins a long-list of perceived small-time politicians who emerge once elections are on the horizon.

Chamba joins the list politicians who add satire to the country political mix. Dr. Shakespeare Maya was the candidate for the opposition National Alliance for Good Governance in 2003. In 2008 little known Towungana Langton received 14 503 votes, representing 0.58%.

Job Sikhala, the maverick former legislator for St Mary's, who is also eyeing the presidency under his MDC99, has been all over the show in the past months trying to make his presence felt in the country's body politic.

Egypt Dzinemunhenzva who normally surfaces from his rural base a few months from the election date, is still to throw his hat into the ring and so are Paul Siwela, Nesbert Mtengedzanwa and Reketai Semwayo â€" leaders of the Matabeleland Liberation Front, the rebranded African National Congress and ZANU Ndonga respectively.

The passing on of Justine Chiota, who committed suicide a few months ago after firstly fatally shooting his wife, and that of Isabel Mutangadura, who died recently, had the effect of eliminating candidates that had become permanent features on Zimbabwe's election diary.