When Chamisa lost me

Like many people, I had been looking forward to attending the MDC final rally in Freedom Square. To enjoy the atmosphere, hear the music and to listen to the inspirational final words before polling day.

I have had concerns about Chamisa for a while - unlike some on social media I have never deified him and have always been aware of his flaws – but on balance, he still had my vote.

And then I woke up on Saturday morning to the read one of the most shocking sentences I have ever read. The headline in Newsday, being shared all over my Facebook and Twitter, simply read "Mugabe Endorsed Me: Chamisa".

Words cannot describe how I felt reading this. Like a dagger through the heart.

For months there have been rumours of the Mugabes backing Chamisa, and they have always been vigorously denied. We were told the rumours were a smear campaign and an anti-Chamisa ZANU-PF plot, all designed to make him unelectable.

And so when it was written that Chamisa and Grace met in Dubai, we ignored it. When we saw the grainy footage of Grace handing Chamisa money in a hotel room, we laughed it off. It couldn't be true, we told our friends. Chamisa has promised us.

But then this. After months of denials, this sordid deal has been confirmed, by the horse's mouth. And not only confirmed, but boasted about. As if the support of these two criminals is a badge of honour.

Has he become so power hungry that he has become deaf to the feelings of his supporters? Blind to what they did to us?

I want to shout so loud that he will hear me. Nelson, you are being played. The Mugabe's don't endorse. They don't support. They control, they manipulate, they dictate! That is what they do. You may think they are just supporting you, but wait and see. Once they have you in their pocket, they will never let you out. You cannot outsmart them – they are ten times more cunning than you. If you do become president, we will find that out for ourselves, but by then it will be too late.

And Nelson, what were you thinking? Did you really believe you could work with Bob and not get Grace too. Haven't you followed the last few years? He is 94, weak and senile. She controls him. Everything he does is for her. The Mugabes are a package deal. Buy one and the other comes too. But while he has no more left to offer, she will stick around. She will leech onto you and destroy you, just like she did to him.

One last thing Nelson, you are being used. You may pretend to yourself that they are endorsing you for your youth and talent, but deep down you must know the truth. For them, this is about revenge and power. You are just a useful tool. They want to take revenge on ED, and get back into power. And once they do, they will never let go. Not a second time!

So Nelson, I am sorry to say that today, while you gained two votes in the Blue Roof, you lost mine and all my family's. And the problem for you is that for every Blue Roof resident, there are millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who hate them.

Today was the day you lost my vote. It was probably the day you lost the election.