'Chamisa was not involved in Gushungo Dairies transport scheme'

As controversy continues to swirl around embattled former opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, Chalton Hwende, a senior official with the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has once again vehemently dismissed the claims that he and Chamisa were contracted by the late Robert Mugabe to transport products for Gushungo Dairies.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Hwende branded the allegations as "tired, baseless lies" that had been debunked years ago. He expressed frustration that the claims had resurfaced, stating that he had previously cleared the air in 2018.

"This is fake news, and I debunked it back in 2018. Since it's being dredged up again, let me set the record straight," Hwende wrote.

The senior CCC figure, a close ally of Chamisa since 1996, strongly refuted the narrative, stating that Chamisa has never owned a logistics or transport business, nor a single truck. He traced the origin of the smear to the 2014 MDC Congress, when political opponents allegedly fabricated the story to undermine Chamisa's leadership aspirations.

"These unsophisticated haters even printed fake receipt books under ‘Twinsdale Logistics' – a laughable blunder since my company was Twinsday Logistics, and they couldn't even spell it right. The whole thing was a joke, exposed as a clumsy hatchet job by someone with zero credibility," Hwende wrote, dismissing the allegations as nonsensical.

Hwende also pointed out the illogical nature of the claims, highlighting that Mugabe had well-established ties to large haulage companies, including Sabot and Wheels of Africa, which together controlled more than 1,000 trucks. He questioned why Mugabe would turn to a small company like "Twinsday Logistics," which, according to Hwende, only had a fleet of 10 trucks — none of which were milk trucks, as suggested in the accusations.

"Why would he turn to Twinsday Logistics, a small outfit with 10 car trucks, not even milk trucks? And how does Chamisa get roped in when he was neither a director nor owner? It's absurd on its face," Hwende argued.

The CCC official expressed concern that these long-debunked allegations were being revived, suggesting that they were part of a broader scheme to "muddy the waters" ahead of important political developments.

"The truth is clear: this was, and remains, a fabricated smear," he concluded.

The re-emergence of the claims has reignited debates within Zimbabwe's political landscape. Chamisa's supporters have rallied behind Hwende's statement, calling for an end to the attacks, while political opponents continue to probe the opposition leader's past affiliations.

The controversy highlights the ongoing tensions within Zimbabwe's political sphere, with efforts to discredit key opposition figures continuing to shape the narrative ahead of critical political events. As the political temperature rises, the battle over credibility, trust, and past alliances remains a central issue in Zimbabwe's polarized political environment.