Nelson Chamisa breaks silence

FORMER MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa, who was at the weekend vanquished by ex-party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora, yesterday formally registered as a lawyer, and urged his supporters to "let bygones be bygones".

The ex-Information Communication Technology minister and Kuwadzana East MP was formally and officially admitted as a legal practitioner at the High Court before justice Lavender Makoni.

"The development marks the beginning of yet another exciting chapter in the expedition to locate significance and value in the turn of our national affairs. I have sworn to loyally serve my country severally," Chamisa said after he was registered yesterday.

"I have done this before as an MP and as Cabinet minister in the inclusive government. I have served in the three arms of the State: the Legislature, Executive and now the Judiciary. Today was particularly special because of the new opportunities that lie ahead of me."

Chamisa had gone into hibernation since Sunday after a shock defeat to fellow lawyer and ex-Nyanga North MP Mwonzora in the hotly-contested election for secretary-general at the MDC-T congress over the weekend.

Speculation over what he would do next mounted after media reports indicated he would form his own party.

Chamisa, who went into the elections with 11 out of the party's 12 provinces on his side, had been widely tipped to thrash Mwonzora, who went into the race with only Manicaland province on his side.

But he fared badly at the polls after garnering 1 756 votes against Mwonzora's 2 464.

Yesterday, Chamisa said he had managed to brush aside his forgettable downfall and was now pursuing a new life outside the MDC-T administration.

Chamisa was accompanied to the High Court by lawyers Chris Mhike and Innocent Chagonda and was registered as a lawyer under Atherstone and Cook law firm.

The youthful MDC-T legislator told journalists it was time to look forward and "let bygones be bygones".

"I take this as a good lesson. I have many moves to consider and not just one. You will see. Just watch the space, you will be excited," he told journalists soon after he was registered to practice.

He also dismissed speculative reports that he was now mulling plans to join the MDC Renewal Team headed by former MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti.

This was after the Renewal Team, through its spokesperson Jacob Mafume, on Tuesday extended an olive branch to him, saying he would be a valuable asset to the newly-formed opposition party.

"Those are just reports based on speculation. Nothing on the substantive. Nothing concrete. I won't go to the past. I am a forward-looking young man. The past is gone, it's history. I want to thank the people for supporting me. I have lots of support which I appreciate and those people won't be let down," he added. "I have learnt to accept fate and accept that you can't undo the past."

Chamisa said he had many options to pursue, but would remain a loyal MDC-T member and represent the aspirations of young people "who want to see a genuinely better Zimbabwe".

He, however, refused to comment on allegations that the MDC-T internal polls had been rigged to ensure his defeat as he was widely considered a threat to party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Soon after announcement of the election results, Chamisa's sympathisers claimed Tsvangirai had personally engineered his defeat by Mwonzora.

"Whether clean or dirty is not consequential, I am still young and I have a sea of opportunities," he said.

On election day, Chamisa loyalists claimed that staff from Tsvangirai's office was in charge of security and a number of security details who came for the event were unbeknown to the MDC-T leadership, but to the MDC-T leader alone.

Until the recent congress, Chamisa's political life has been on the ascent — rising from youth secretary to organising secretary all within a short space of time after he took over from the party's founding spokesperson the late Learnmore Jongwe.

Chamisa was the youngest Cabinet minister in the inclusive government, heading the Information Communication Technology portfolio.

At one time, Zanu-PF leader President Robert Mugabe described him as a "supersonic minister".