By Charles Motsi| The simplified definition of a conman is a man who cheats or tricks someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to believe something that is not true.

This is the best description anyone can ever give when talking about MDC-T presidential hopeful, Nelson Chamisa, at this point and time of his political career.

Since the death of Morgan Tsvangirai, Chamisa has been on an offensive of cheap trickery trying to mesmerise the Zimbabwean electorate and to some extent he has been successful. However, when it comes to elections and deciding the destiny of the nation one has to be stingy and critical of whom he will give his vote to. A quick review of Chamisa’s promises and guarantees will expose and reveals that there is really nothing for people to get excited about.

They are simply being taken for a ride by a conman who will leave them distraught, disillusioned and worse off than before. Let us explore some of the traits of a conman and see if Chamisa fits the bill.

Conmen are fun, charming, entertaining and super polite when meeting people. Chamisa has managed to win the hearts and minds of people because of his oratory skills. From his days as a student activist, he has always been able to raise great crowds and make them go into frenzy when he speaks. He is a true entertainer, no doubt about that. That is why he chants out such ludicrous statements as, “when we met Trump, he asked us how much we needed to develop the country and we said 15 billion and he said don’t worry if you win the elections it will be yours.”

The 15 billion rant made people go wild with excitement at the Mutare rally. However, it proved costly at the end as he was forced to make an embarrassing apology to the USA Ambassador for implicating the USA in a false statement. This should show people that even though conman say all the right things at the right time and get people excited, there isn’t any real substance in their utterances and they should not be taken seriously rather people should not entertain them.

All conmen have delusions of grandeur even though they might live in the slams or dilapidated houses. When applied to the new MDC Alliance front-man, this statement tends to fit like a glove. Chamisa has been running around the country promising people spaghetti roads, airports in every village and bullet trains while his own Headquarters, the Morgan Tsvangirai Building, is in ruins. How is he going to get funding to build all that he is promising in the future when he cannot even replace broken window panes on his own office? People should not be fooled to believe the same delusions that Chamisa is suffering from, they are being conned.

Conmen will take every opportunity they get to loudly and publicly smear their opponents or adversaries when they feel threatened by them. Chamisa has been trying to tarnish President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s image at rallies by making cheap jokes, like when he took a swipe at the President’s iconic scarf by saying he got it from a traditional healer (n’anga). The need to verbally abuse his opponent stems from some deep seated insecurities that the conman Chamisa has and fear of losing to his opponent.

When caught in a lie or any other compromising position, a conman always think of themselves as victims, they can cry fake tears at the drop of a hat. Chamisa has been accusing Zanu PF of disadvantaging his MDC and not providing a fair and conducive environment claiming that his party is being unfairly treated. By playing the victim, Chamisa is laying grounds for a sympathetic plea when he finally loses after the 2018 elections. The electorate should not be fooled by this canning act.

While Chamisa’s conman tendencies are so clear for all to see, one cannot help but admire his opposite number in the form of President Mnangagwa. The president is a man of few words and his skills as an orator are limited to the important stuff only. Rather than talk people’s ears off, the president is a man of action as has been exhibited by how he has delayed his own campaign locally and go on a diplomatic offensive in the region and beyond to make sure the country has long lasting relations as compared to cheap politicking at rallies.