Chamisa returns to Zimbabwe political frontline?

Nelson Chamisa, founding leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and a prominent opposition figure who stepped away from active politics last year amid claims that his party had been hijacked by Zanu-PF, is back in the political arena, actively pushing back against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's contentious government policies.

The 47-year-old opposition veteran, who had appeared to take a step back from frontline politics - focusing instead on sharing Bible verses and motivational content on his widely followed social media platforms - has now resumed a confrontational stance against the Mnangagwa administration.

Though Chamisa has yet to reveal whether he plans to establish a new political party, insiders close to him told The Standard that his recent messaging is highly strategic. Concerns had emerged within his camp that his earlier avoidance of sensitive political issues was allowing narratives suggesting he had been compromised by Mnangagwa's regime to gain traction.

Last week, Chamisa publicly opposed a controversial new law mandating that motorists purchase radio licenses before renewing their vehicle licenses. Speaking out on X (formerly Twitter), where he commands 1.3 million followers, the former Information Communication Technology minister condemned the law as "too draconian, anti-citizens and outright heartless."

"Citizens are being pauperised left, right and centre," Chamisa wrote.

"Why does the citizenry of this country deserve so uncaring and heartless a leadership? What are people supposed to do with all this cruel taxation? Why must I pay for a service I don't use? Why should I pay for partisan propaganda, where I am attacked in person and demonised from dawn to dusk? Do we have a parliament in Zimbabwe? Which other country does this to her citizens? Is this not naked provocation? Is Zimbabwe not a crime scene?"

Chamisa also criticized the government's recently unveiled media policy, which opponents say is designed to stifle dissent. He dismissed it as a "hollow gesture by the Zanu-PF administration," writing:

"Let's be clear: the real crisis in Zimbabwe's media sector is not a lack of policy, but the continued criminalisation of journalism. No amount of lipstick will beautify a frog. Instead of opening space for investment and innovation, this policy tightens the administration's grip on the media.
True reform would have meant breaking the monopoly, not entrenching it; promoting local investment, not stifling it.
A real media policy would empower journalists, not threaten them with deregistration under vague ‘rules and standards' designed to muzzle dissent. It would promote self-regulation, as we see in other respected professions.
It would transform ZBC and Zimpapers into genuine public service platforms, not echo chambers of outdated propaganda."

A source within Chamisa's camp told The Standard that the shift in messaging signals preparations for launching a new political movement. According to the insider, grassroots structures are currently being strengthened to avoid the top-level splits that have historically fractured Zimbabwe's democratic opposition.

"When Chamisa went on sabbatical, he made it clear that he was not leaving politics, but rather the CCC as a vehicle for change," the source explained. "We have been focusing on building structures at the grassroots because splits in the democratic movement have typically happened at the top, while the base remained intact. We want to change that."

Chamisa has controversially lost two presidential elections against Mnangagwa - in 2018 and 2023 - and has refused to accept the results, citing widespread vote rigging.

Efforts to secure a comment from Chamisa on his political future proved unsuccessful at the time of reporting.