Pearls cast before a swine: does not know what to do with them

Power was trust upon him: Chamisa was literally given power by former President Tsvangirai on his death bed. He was terminally ill; it was a matter of days and hours; Tsvangirai died leaving Chamisa baptized at the helm of the Movement for Democratic Change - MDC-T. But things are not adding up to full total; just when we thought Chamisa was a formidable leader who has a track record of visibility and vibrancy inside the MDC movement: why is Chamisa failing. What is lacking in his leadership that hinders his rise to power? Chamisa is one of the members that gave birth to MDC in 1999: a young member then. He was vibrant, radical and promising in every respect. He held several portfolios until he became a Minister in the GNU; given any further available opportunity he would become young president of Zimbabwe.

Nelson Chamisa is of Shona ethnic group: that alone means he resides from the population that vote on tribal lines always. Chamisa is an Advocate: it is rumored on several gossiping platforms that obtaining legal qualifications were not clean. He was ordained a Pastor of the church. To put cherry on top of the cake, Chamisa is charismatic. In his calculous, Chamisa ticked boxes that meant he could persuade the nation that he is the person of the moment; to be unquestionably the next President of Zimbabwe. Unquestionably he has the numbers, the voters, however, do not amount to a win journey to the statehouse. Has it ever dawned on him that what he is doing: repeating the same mistakes of taking part in flawed elections without reforms is his undoing? Who are Chamisa's advisers? Again, it is rumored Chamisa is allergic to advice: He knows it all.

The journey has been long. Its 25 years of struggle in the trenches to unseat Zanu PF. In first world countries, Chamisa was supposed to resign and give the baton to the next in the power matrix if he fails elections more than once. Africa is different, Zimbabwe is not the UK of Germany where leadership could change quickly if a leader failed to deliver, even if it was not his/her fault, personality leadership must change all the same. In August 2024, Chamisa resigned from politics: his quitting leadership was not clean either, it was sporadic, members were informed by newspapers that Chamisa was out of the political scene. Demonstratively Chamisa displays his charismatic traits; commands a large voter base despite undisguised shortcomings. He is young, can communicate with the gullible youth, convinces them that he is the leader of the moment, he will deliver, they trust him.

Today's news read talks about clandestine connections between Chamisa and the ruling Zanu PF. That Chamisa is selling the struggle to Zanu PF is not recent news. These are gossips that have been making rounds for years. It could be true; but how to prove such transactions will not be easy, hearsay is not enough. Mr. Jealous Mawarire said jokingly: buying drugs do not require an invoice of purchase. Professor Ibo Mandaza once threatened Chamisa to openly tell the nation why he has gone sabbatical at a time when the nation needed him most. The Geza revolution was a moment when Chamisa should have collected his team to seize the optimal timing: the Geza revolution. The rat smells here. Chamisa in his wisdom or lack of, distanced himself completely from the Geza movement. Another red line. Why is Chamisa coming out of his slumber in peace time: why not in March 31? He is now safe to collect his football team to play in a peaceful political environment.       

Chamisa should by now have known that he is not a revolutionary but a preacher. That he is a pastor is the greatest asset he could have. To lead a revolution demands more than what his abilities and capabilities currently displays. His love for the Christian faith resonates with the public that is deeply Christianized. There is power in education, they say. Uneducated masses are not able to demarcate his love for the bible and a revolution: a transformation that demands full sacrifice: Chamisa will never go for a sacrifice, but he is risk averse. He wishes with all his heart that the masses could go out and make violent demonstrations on his behalf without leading them from the front. It is for this reason Chamisa was missing during the M31 uprising: the so-called Geza revolution. 

Coming out of his slumber, Chamisa talks about spirituality. Bringing his Christan faith to the fore is a tactic to capture his religious audience that resonates with Jesus Christ.  "Never waste precious time on profitless gossip. Invest more time in the gospel of salvation  -  the gospel of Jesus Christ." Those are Chamisa words when he was asked:  "People have been gossiping that you're a ZANU-PF agent, is this true?" This is the leadership we have in the opposition. The void in Chamisa's true leadership. However, it is different with Ostallos Gift Siziba. These two CCC leaders are worlds apart. Mr. Siziba is naturally gifted and talented; Chamisa struggles to articulate politics except if he is preaching or praying. Supporters must dwell in prayers and spirituality rather than political fake news: thereby disqualifying politics as primary concern. Spirituality is abstract Mr. Chamisa: on the other hand, politics is daily bread and butter, therefore spoken in the present tense. "Invest more time in the gospel of salvation  -  the gospel of Jesus Christ." We want amagwadla today and not tomorrow, Mr. Chamisa. 

It is true that Zanu PF infiltrated CCC movement until it collapsed because it was a shaky movement with questionable characters of the moulds of Sengezo Tshabangu and all those who sold out the movement. Chamisa had become a dictator in the leadership matrix, was incensed in fighting dissenting voices inside the party more than fighting the actual enemy. Mnangagwa did not find it difficult to destroy CCC. He has been in this play for 50 years. Mnangagwa and Mugabe destroyed Zapu and has never been able to be resuscitated to this day. Chamisa alienated good leaders in his movement because he feared they were better than him. Take the case of Advocate Jessy Majome, how she was removed from the party to be replaced by those who worshipped Chamisa. There are several other CCC members who were sidelined by Chamisa. Personalities like Advocate Tenda Biti were never supposed to quit the party of whatever reasons. Tendai Biti is an experienced and highly capable man: much better than Chamisa in details.

Outside CCC party, we have good, qualified, capable, and astute leaders: Prof. Mutambara is a waste and nobody sees this! If given a chance Mutambara would transform Zimbabwe into a second world, middle-class economy that benefits many. Voters don't recognize where the nations human resources lie. Today politics is knowledge of mathematic and never about bible verses and how accurate one can cite them: such does not bring bread and butter on the table. Chamisa is telling them to close their eyes and pray in earnest and in truth, hopes to get respect, and he will get it just by those bible sentences that mean nothing at the end of the day. It can be challenging to be African sometimes. Just saying!

When Zanu says we shall rule until donkeys' breed horns, there is an element of truth in that statement. It will take generations to bring down Zanu-PF judging by the weak opposition we currently have. Other opposition parties are failing to rise to the occasion: the current political climate does not allow it to oppose Zanu government without risking incarceration for years in despicable prison conditions. (Ask Sikhala what he went through in Chikurubi Prison) The educated, the intelligenzia is in the Diaspora, a constituency lost forever. It is disheartening to realize that there will never be political transformational changes in our lifetime. We are living in the later days of our lifespan. Joining a political movement to bring change we all want to see is madness of the highest order. What is left is use of the pen! Just saying!