Official: Chamisa is an imposter

Yesterday, just four weeks before the crucial harmonised elections, Nelson Chamisa finally conceded what many of us have seen since his violent takeover of the MDC– that he is an imposter, with no legitimate claim to be leader of this historic party.

Over the past six months of fighting, first physically and later through the court system, Chamisa and his lackeys have been running around telling anyone who will listen that he is the true heir to Morgan Tsvangirai. That he, and only he, is the legitimate leader of the MDC.

They have wasted no expense on this claim, both in lawyers' fees and international travel to try and create the impression of Chamisa as a weighty global figure, and they have been successful in convincing some people, both at home and abroad.

But unfortunately for Chamisa, the legal system is resolute. It cannot be bullied or intimidated. Not by The Vanguard thugs, and not by his youthful charm.

And so after all the shouting, the desperate claims, the violent attacks on Khupe and her supporters and the money wasted, when faced by the obstinacy of the law, Chamisa was forced into an embarrassing climb-down, announcing that he was withdrawing his court challenge over the use of the MDC-T's name and symbol.

The implications of this are clear to all. Even the Daily News, which has become effectively a Chamisa mouthpiece, was forced to conclude that "this effectively leaves Khupe as the substantive MDC-T leader, as well as the party's presidential candidate."

One imagines that the next battle will be over the $1.8 million in party funding afforded mistakenly to Chamisa's faction as per the Political Parties Finance Act. Indeed it is difficult to see if Chamisa even has a leg to stand on – if he has now conceded that Khupe is the leader of the MDC-T then it stands to reason that she should have use of the party's funds. Anything else is robbery, plain and simple.

Sadly for Chamisa, this comes as his party has been revealed to be broke, meaning that when asked to cough up the $1.8m for the rightful MDC-T, he will be left with nothing. This perhaps explains the reports that the Mugabes will be funding Chamisa to the tune of $2m, handily paying off his debt.

What is for sure is that this leaves the opposition in trouble. With Chamisa now accepting he has no claim to the MDC label, and essentially becoming a Mugabe proxy, the fight against ZANU-PF will be taken up by the MDC-T, led by Dr. Khupe.

But Chamisa's games have left her with less than four weeks to campaign and without the funds she needs to have a chance. Further, over the past few months, Chamisa has methodically worked to sully her reputation and destroy her good name, with his supporters encouraged to refer to her simply as hure.

And so, in all likelihood, the outcome of Chamisa's shenanigans will be an easy Mnangagwa win at the polls. He has succeeded in dividing and hamstringing the opposition to the extent that there is now nobody credible to put up a strong fight. Maybe Khupe will surprise us. Maybe Mugabe's money will give Chamisa a chance. But somehow I doubt it.

They say the emptiest vessels make the loudest noise, and yesterday Nelson Chamisa proved this once again. For all his noise, in withdrawing from court and accepting Khupe as the legitimate leader of the MDC-T, he proved himself to be a hollow imposter.

The cost of his antics will be felt by all opposition supporters on July 30th.