IN A bizarre development, former opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has attempted to disown a recent recorded interview that he had with the Daily News On Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News.
Under fire from many Zimbabweans after the interview was published — for pooh-poohing the country’s proposed new opposition alliance — Chamisa claimed on social media at the weekend that he had allegedly been misrepresented.
This is not the first time that a top opposition leader has crassly tried to distance themselves from what they were initially happy to tell journalists before a major fallout over their utterances erupted over the past few years.
Job Sikhala is another of many local opposition bigwigs who are notorious for seeking publicity from the media and then later making all kinds of false claims about the subsequent story.
Commenting on Chamisa’s claims yesterday, the Group Editor-in-Chief of Jester Media Services, Guthrie Munyuki, said he was at a loss for words about the former opposition leader’s comments.
“It all beggars belief that he would do this because his interview with the Daily News was recorded with his full blessing.
“I understand that people can have some regrets about what they may have said at the spur of the moment, but to claim any kind of misrepresentations and mischief is dishonesty of the highest order.
“While in the past we were happy to let things go, we are no longer willing to tolerate this nonsense. Enough is enough,” Munyuki said.
In the interview with the Daily News, Chamisa said an artificial and elite-driven opposition alliance not only lacked legitimacy, but was doomed to fail.
This came as a proposed new broad alliance of opposition parties and pro-democracy groups is nearing completion, amid expectations that the coalition will be unveiled soon.
“One of the major problems we have is that people constantly try to impose so-called alliances while assuming that they know better than everyone else.
“The moment you begin from that premise, failure becomes inevitable. No one has the right to arrogate authority to themselves or appoint themselves as the voice of the people.
“You may propose ideas … but you cannot simply declare yourself entitled to leadership or legitimacy. The citizens themselves know what they want.
“Zimbabwe does not need lecturers and professors instructing people on what to do. Zimbabwe needs leaders and true leaders come from the people, not above the people. Leaders are of the people, with the people, and for the people,” Chamisa further told the Daily News.
He repeatedly criticised what he described as “self-appointed leadership” within opposition circles, adding that legitimacy could only be earned through public consent.
“You cannot simply wake up one day and declare yourself the convener of an organisation without a mandate from the people.
“That is where the problem begins, where individuals assign themselves titles, authority, influence and stature that they have not earned.
“Everyone has the democratic right to propose ideas on the basis of principle and vision, but no one has the right to award themselves legitimacy or leadership titles without the consent of the people,” Chamisa charged.
He went on to dismiss raging speculation around the political direction that he is taking, saying his work was continuing quietly across multiple spheres beyond the public spotlight.
“A lot of people do not know what I have been doing behind the scenes. I have been working at many different levels — spiritually, politically and intellectually.
“As I have always said, this movement is organic. It grows from the ground upwards, not from the top downwards. It is not built around one individual, it is built by the people themselves.
“What citizens need is not only patience, but also grounding — an understanding that Zimbabwe belongs to all of us.
“I have seen growing desperation from some who believe that everything depends on Parliament or constitutional processes.
“But with or without CAB3, the people of Zimbabwe will continue to demand a government that is chosen by the people themselves,” Chamisa also said.
He also stressed that effective political engagement needed to move beyond digital spaces and return to grassroots interaction.
“I am focusing on communities because many people are mistaken. They believe that politics and engagement with citizens happen only on social media.
“Social media is what it is — merely a social platform. When it comes to real, living issues that affect people’s lives, you must engage directly with the people themselves.
“The majority of our people are not on X (formerly Twitter) or Facebook. And it is always better to have face-to-face engagements with the people.
“What we often see on social media is a mixture of misunderstanding, misinformation and a deeply misconceived view of life. Life is much bigger than these digital platforms.
“That is why I am encouraged and inspired by the feedback I continue to receive directly from the people,” Chamisa said further.
Opposition stalwart, Tendai Biti, had said two weeks ago that the proposed new alliance would include student movements and church groupings, as part of efforts to push back against the government’s planned constitutional changes.
Speaking to the Daily News then, Biti also emphasised that the alliance represented “a new approach” to opposition politics.
“The discussions are at an advanced stage. So anytime soon you are going to see this coming together.
“You will see organisations that include the church, the Defend the Constitution Platform (DCP), the Constitutional Defenders Forum (CDF), the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and others coming together, as well as trade unions,” he said.
On his part, DCP convenor Jameson Timba also confirmed that the new movement would be unveiled soon.
“At the appropriate time soon, we will announce the broad alliance to fight CAB3. It’s effectively already there.
“I can assure you that at the appropriate time we will communicate the concrete way forward. We are fighting CAB3 on all fronts.
“We are also engaging across the political divide. We are speaking to all people who are opposed to CAB3.
“We are trying everything in our power peacefully and lawfully to fight CAB3,” Timba said.
Earlier, Timba had also revealed that the proposed broad alliance would move away from the culture of personality cults and return to collective leadership, democratic accountability and institutionalism.
Speaking to the Daily News last month, Timba said the veneration of leaders was largely responsible for the chaos that had weakened the country’s opposition over the years.
“The opposition in this country embodies the aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans. It should thus not be about individuals.
“The alliance will be about the people of Zimbabwe, not about the so-called big names.
“It will be about the collective will of the people and their enduring desire for a better life.
“That is what should define the opposition. The process of uniting all opposition parties and civil society is going on well,” Timba said.
“We are focused on issues, not personalities. This struggle is not about any one individual.
“It is about the totality of the people of Zimbabwe and their shared future. The struggle we are engaged in belongs to every Zimbabwean.
“For years, the people of this nation have demanded a better life, especially in the wake of Zanu PF losing its direction after 1984,” he added.