By Munacho Gwamanda- Celebrated opposition politician, Nelson Chamisa has signaled his willingness to engage in coalition talks with progressive forces but has firmly distanced himself from the planned mass protests on March 31, 2025, called by expelled ZANU PF Central Committee member, Blessed Runesu Geza.
Geza, a former intelligence operative now in exile, is calling for nationwide demonstrations in response to a push by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s loyalists to extend his second and final term from 2028 to 2030.
The move has triggered internal discontent within ZANU PF, with some factions reportedly backing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga as an alternative power center.
Last week, Geza—who is wanted by the police for alleged theft and other crimes—claimed in a YouTube broadcast from an undisclosed location that several opposition figures, including Chamisa, former Finance Minister Tendai Biti, and former MP Job Sikhala, were backing his protest campaign to remove Mnangagwa from office sooner.
However, Chamisa swiftly refuted these claims, emphasising that while he remains open to constructive dialogue with all political stakeholders, he has had no involvement in the planned protests.
In a statement on social media, Chamisa wrote:
“I want to clarify that my door is always open to speak with anyone who reaches out to me for constructive conversations and nation-building, but I have not been involved in recent dialogues with anyone. I do not want to be made the focal point of things that have nothing to do with me.”
Geza, meanwhile, has suggested that opposition figures, including Chamisa, Sikhala, Biti, and others, support Chiwenga’s potential bid to succeed Mnangagwa, saying:
“We have spoken with all political players. The likes of Chamisa, Sikhala, Biti, Komichi, and Mwonzora. We did not leave anyone behind. We have agreed on the way forward. And among all these people, no one does not like Chiwenga.”
Chamisa’s political trajectory has cemented his role as a formidable force in Zimbabwean politics.
Since emerging as the leader of the opposition following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in 2018, he has shown remarkable resilience, navigating political betrayals, state-sponsored repression, and the systematic dismantling of his party.
Despite state-orchestrated splits within the opposition, election rigging, and relentless attacks on his legitimacy, Chamisa has continued to command significant grassroots support, making him an unavoidable figure in Zimbabwe’s political calculus.
His ability to galvanize mass support has made him a kingmaker, courted not only by opposition figures but also bydiscontented factions within ZANU PF.
His recent refusal to be drawn into Geza’s protest movement signals a strategic awareness—one that he lacked in 2017 when he inadvertently found the opposition supporting the military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe.
At the time, the opposition figures, saw the coup as an opportunity to democratise Zimbabwe, only to realize later that it had merely reshuffled power within the ruling elite.
Chamisa’s latest move reflects a learned caution—he appears determined not to be used by disgruntled ZANU PF factions to settle internal scores, as was the case in 2017.
Then, opposition support for Mnangagwa’s ascendancy inadvertently strengthened the very system that continues to suppress democratic movements in Zimbabwe.
Political analysts warn that Chamisa must tread carefully.
While his position as a kingmaker gives him leverage, aligning with disillusioned ZANU PF cadres—especially those with intelligence and military backgrounds—carries significant risks.
Like what happened in 2017 when war veterans persuaded people to support them by storming the streets and demonstrating against Mugabe, the disgruntled Zanu PF members may only be interested in using the opposition to fight their battles rather than pursuing genuine democratic reforms.