Gift Mashoko

The death of music legend and national hero, Oliver Mtukudzi, created an opportunity for MDC leader and attention-seeker Nelson “Wamba” Chamisa to show his drama tactics and market himself.

Unlike majority of the people who genuinely went to pay their last respects to the music icon, Chamisa had his own agenda of stealing the show for the wrong reasons. He wanted to be given VVVIP treatment when President Emmerson Mnangagwa himself never sought any.

When the nation gathered at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on Saturday to bid farewell to Mtukudzi, Chamisa, just like all the other attendees, was not allowed to drive into the stadium with his vehicles. This is not news. Not even President Mnangagwa drives into the stadium. This did not go down well with Chamisa who wanted to draw the attention of the attendees by driving into the stadium accompanied by his motorcade. When this hit a wall he resorted to fabricated claims that he had been barred from entering the stadium.

Only the convoy accompanying the hearse carrying Mtukudzi’s body entered the stadium. The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, ZiyambiZiyambi, highlighted that he, like all dignitaries, had all been dropped outside the gate following a security directive.

“(MDC Secretary General, Douglas) Mwonzora and MDC secretary for elections, Murisi) Zwizwai came to me and said security details were blocking Chamisa’s motorcade from entering the stadium and I told them that only the President’s motorcade is allowed to drive into the stadium on national events so there was an attempt to breach security measures,” said Minister Ziyambi.

One wonders what made Chamisa think that he is so special that he would want to enter the stadium with his motor vehicles? Chamisa is no different from all the other opposition leaders who lost during the July 30 harmonised elections. He should not receive the same treatment as President Mnangagwa. He is merely an MDC leader, nothing more and nothing less. He is just not a government official.

Yesterday, Chamisa also attended Mtukudzi’s burial in Madziwa, at Mtukudzi’s rural home which was teeming with people. Being part of this crowd and having arrived late Chamisa found the place packed with people. Being the drama queen that he is, Chamisa tried and failed to fit into the already packed VIP tent which also had reserved seats and had to join the crowd. This made unwarranted news because he already had no place in the VIP tent. As usual his violent thugs created a scene forcefully creating way for Chamisa to the VIP tent to which they failed.

Chamisa is always seeking attention and wants to cause commotion even when there is a protocol to follow. He has not yet accepted that he lost the July 30 Presidential elections. How could he want to use Presidential access route as if he is the nation’s leader? Chamisa is just an opposition leader of MDClike other losing presidential candidates.

Chamisa enjoys creating scenes which present him as a victim in order to gain sympathy and score cheap political points. Zimbabweans are, however, not blind to these cheap political machinations and always see through them.