Chamisa should learn from other opposition leaders in the region

Nelson Chamisa has a great deal to learn from opposition leaders in other parts of the world including South Africa, if the claim he made during the MDC Congress held in Gweru, that MDC is the largest opposition political party in Africa is to hold.

Sadly Chamisa never learns nor cease to amaze people with his antics. His utterances at the recently held MDC Congress inciting his followers to engage in acts that seek to remove a democratically elected government are akin to rebel leaders.

Elsewhere in the world opposition parties and their leaders, play a critical role in providing an oversight role on the ruling party so that the party in power is held accountable to the people they lead. Opposition leaders, such as those in South Africa, understand that they all serve the people and its the reason why they support the country's President in his effort to better the lives of the people. These leaders value the importance of the people and empathise with their plight and needs.

These opposition leaders support every effort to improve the economies of their countries, without seeking to glorify themselves. Instead of relentlessly spending their energies on political scorecard, they proffer solutions and alternatives to the challenges that bedevil their countries. They, in the process of providing solutions, hold the government to account to the people.

Unlike these progressive opposition leaders in South Africa and some parts of the world, Nelson Chamisa and his party do the very opposite of what opposition politics is all about. Literally they behave and act like a rebel movement, thereby posing a security threat to the peace loving people of Zimbabwe.

For this reason, Chamisa should quickly learn from other opposition leaders from the region and continent. A leader who claims to lead the largest opposition party on the continent should understand that people's interests and lives come first. The people's well-being should come first at all times.

It is startling that a leader calls for violent strikes and demonstrations which destroy the infrastructure that the people you claim to love want for posterity.

Furthermore, a leader who loves his people does not call for illegal sanctions, in the hope that people will vote for him when they are hungry or dead. A true leader understands the tenets of democratic processes and moves away from the election mode once elections are over and focus on supporting the incumbent in moving the country forward. His own Komichi and Bvondo, showed what should be done when you lose elections, 'even though there are concerns and you thought you deserved to win,' said Komichi. Move on and support others and call for help in healing.

Nelson Chamisa should learn quickly and understand that people will not vote for him on the basis of promises. Now that he is the MDC President of MDC he should prove that he is capable of what to deliver. His record in Kuwadzana as a Member of Parliament is clear testimony that Nelson Chamisa is a fantasy man.

Like what the DA, IFP and EFF are doing in some parts of South Africa, supporting the development efforts of the country, Nelson Chamisa and MDC should emulate them and support the development efforts in Zimbabwe. Their readiness to run a country can only be assessed on projects accomplished which benefited the people not demonstrations and strikes. David Coltart the new Treasurer General was very apt when he said there is not organisationally that shows that MDC is ready to lead.

In conclusion, Nelson Chamisa must be reminded that rebel movements do not succeed anywhere in the world. He should be warned to guard MDC from degenerating into a rebel outfit by recklessly calling for anarchy in Zimbabwe. Anywhere in the world were rebel movements have existed it has been the general populace that have suffered and we do not want to see that happening in Zimbabwe.