By Farai Maguwu | Kuwadzana MP Nelson Chamisa has all but destroyed his political career through grandstanding but principally by violating the Constitution of his party, Movement for Democratic Change. Chamisa may enjoy few more months in the sunlight, thanks to the coming elections, but his political epitaph is now written and complete. He might as well go down with the Movement for Democratic Change led by the iconic former trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai.
A promising career cut short!
I first met Nelson around 1998. Then he was President of the Student Representative Committee at Harare Polytechnical College whilst I was then President of Africa University SRC. He came across as a brilliant budding politician with an inimitable oratory skill. Greatness was written in all he did. One of the days back then I met him at Harare Poly on Workers Day. Nelson had just addressed the packed Rufaro Stadium. He told me how he had received a standing ovation one after another during his address to the workers. It was not a surprise that he quickly rose through the ranks of the MDCT from being the founding youth chair in 1999 to party Organising Secretary at the Bulawayo Congress in 2011. In 2006 Nelson Chamisa became the party spokesperson, a position he held with both courage, skill and determination.
The Fall
Nelson Chamisa’s political fortunes took a tumble towards the party’s 2014 elective congress when he lost the Secretary General’s post to Douglas Mwonzora in dramatic fashion. Having won 11 out of the 12 provincial nominations, Chamisa was clobbered by Mwonzora by a landslide at the City Sports Centre. Some believe Tsvangirai turned the election in Mwonzora’s favor due to some personal differences with Chamisa. This reversal did not in any way mean Chamisa had lost his midas touch with the MDCT family. One can call it chastisement for crossing the path of Tsvangirai, for whatever reason.
But it is how Chamisa handled the aftermath of the 2014 electoral defeat that began his political demise which is accelerating at the speed of lightning. Through trickery and in clear contempt of the MDC Constitution, Chamisa found a way of manipulating Tsvangirai to appoint him Vice President, alongside Engineer Elias Mudzuri in July 2016. This subversion of the MDCT constitution laid the foundation of the cataclysmic crisis the MDCT finds itself in today.
Chamisa suddenly found himself elevated above the person who defeated him at congress – Douglas Mwonzora. Whilst Mudzuri continued to lie low, perhaps in recognition of the unconstitutionality of his appointment, Chamisa wasted no time to assume his duties as Party Vice President. Some elected officials in the National Council and National Executive, frowned at him. The Congress-elected Vice President Thokozani Khupe was immediately sidelined.
Through this illegality Chamisa continued to rise to become the MDC Alliance leader, thus by default becoming the MDC presidential candidate in the event Morgan Tsvangirai fails to recover in time for the election.
Coup that is not a Coup
There is no doubt Nelson Chamisa is greatly inspired by the military coup that toppled long serving dictator Robert Mugabe in November 2017. The November coup was touted around the globe as the smartest military coup ever recorded in history. When announcing that the military would take over, General Chiwenga was holding the Constitution which he was ironically urinating and farting on! He also said the army remained loyal to His Excellency and Commander in Chief of the ZDF, Robert Mugabe. When declaring the Coup on State Television, General Moyo also categorically made the now famous statement ‘The President and his family are safe, we are only targeting criminals around him’ when in actual fact the President was under House Arrest and held hostage till he resigned.
Nelson Chamisa is claiming to be in constant communication with Morgan Tsvangirai when in reality Morgan Tsvangirai is incapacitated and not in touch with his top officials. Tsvangirai’s family has made it public that Luke Tamborinyoka and Chamisa are not telling the truth when claiming to be conveying messages from Tsvangirai. They say Tsvangirai has no cell phone or computer on his hospital bed and yet we continue to see tweets allegedly coming from him! For any military coup to succeed the coup plotters have to control media outlets. It is precisely what Chamisa has done through capturing Luke Tamborinyoka whose reputation and credibility has now been severely dented.
Credibility Crisis
The last legitimate position held by Nelson Chamisa in line with the MDCT Constitution was that of Organizing Secretary which lapsed in 2014. Anything else, whether through appointment by Tsvangirai or claims by Luke Tamborinyoka is at war with the MDCT Constitution and the tenets of democracy. Thus Advocate Nelson Chamisa may ultimately win the battle against Mudzuri but still fail the legitimacy test. He is not even making efforts to be seen to be doing things according to the constitution of his party. He is simply appealing to the people’s emotions and not to reason.
Survival of the Fittest / Violence
The MDCT has usually resolved its leadership crises through violence. The one with the biggest number of thugs always win. Already rumors are saying Mudzuri and his allies are no longer able to access Harvest House which has now been effectively captured by Chamisa. This fight will go down to the grassroots structures. It will alienate even international allies / donors who otherwise believed in the MDCT cause.
Sink or Swim
The crisis in the MDCT today is a democratic crisis. Democracy is gravely in short supply in the Movement for Democratic Change. The party has been wrestled away from its owners – party structures which elected duty bearers in 2014. Needless to say, the illegal appointments and false claims of being anointed by Tsvangirai from his hospital bed are all serving to tear the party apart. The MDCT must simply do the right thing – call for an early Congress and allow party structures to resolve this acrimony. Without resolving the leadership crisis Chamisa may win the battle against Mudzuri but only to become the opposition leader – which is not what the party supporters want. Further, if Chamisa fails to deliver victory in the coming election, he will be blamed for splitting the party at a critical stage.
Learn from ZANU PF
Whilst ZANU PF enters the guinness book of records for being the most destructive party in modern history – judging by how the party reduced Zimbabwe from being the fastest growing and promising economy in Africa to a basket case where its citizens are living like refugees in their own country – the party has discipline. Those who lose elections in ZANU PF take it in their stride – waiting patiently for another chance.