By Dr Tapiwa Mashakada

Nelson Chamisa is one of the surviving founder members of MDC.

He launched his illustrous political career as a Zimbabwe National Student Union leader in the 1990s. In 1998 he attended the National Working Peoples’s Convention held at the Women’s Bureau in Hillside Harare. The Convention layed the foundations for the formation of a “broad based movement for democratic change”.

I was priviledged to prepare a paper for Delegates on “Labour and the Economy”. Chamisa was in the thick of things when we formed the MDC. He criss crossed the whole country with the likes of Tendai Biti, Paurina Mpariwa, Remus Makuvaza, Nicholas Mudzengere, Mlambeni, Job Sikhala, Learnmore Jongwe, Tafadzwa Musekiwa, Dr Mudzingwa, Elliot Pfebve, Grace Kwinjeh, James Makore, Gift Chimanikire and many others too numerous to mention.

These leaders were deployed across the country to form interim MDC structures. I was deployed in Harare with the likes of Cephas Makuyana, Murai, Machingauta Machingauta, Kwirinjeh, Jambani Gombera, Karimatsenga, Vilika, Munyanyi, Mai Dandajena, Ms Muguti, Mutambu, Mbuya Mazanhi, Nyoka, Mujuru and others. At the inaugural MDC Congress in 2000 at the Acquatic Centre, Chamisa was elected the first MDC Youth Chairman. He outclassed Musundure. He was then elected into the first MDC National Executive.

Chamisa also held the positions of National Organizing Secretary, Information and Publicity and National Standing Committee member. Chamisa has fought for freedom, democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe. He has beeen a consistent, dedicated and principled MDC cadre. He was one of Morgan Tsvangirai’s trusted lieutenants since the formation of MDC. No wonder why he deservingly was appointed Vice President in 2017.

A hard working and diligent person Chamisa became ICT Minister during the inclusive government. The media judged him “Minister of the Year “twice.