Staff reporter

MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has earned himself several sobriquets, all deriving from his knack for lying with a straight face.

The youthful opposition leader has become a habitual liar and a master of empty promises to an extent that nobody is still taking his word without a pinch of salt.

Chamisa recently visited Last Maengahama and Tungamirai Madzokere at Chikurubi Maximum prison where he demanded without success, a preferential treatment. He had some freelance journalists in tow, possibly to propagate his political gimmick on social media.

Maengahama and Madzokere were convicted in September 2016 for murdering a Police inspector, Petros Mutedzi in Budiriro High density suburb.

Chamisa promised the two and other MDC inmates that he would pay school fees for their children as well as work on their appeal.

Tinomuda Manyonga, a member of the Non-Aligned Peace Advocates (NAPA), discredited the pledge saying it was not the first time such empty promises had been made.

“He has made such promises before but nothing materialised. During his campaign for 2018 elections, he promised to pay school fees for a number of school children in the rural areas and up to now, not even a cent has been paid,” said Manyonga.

Dianna Mombe questioned why it had taken so long for Chamisa and the MDC leadership to think of taking care of the jailed members’ family.

“These people were convicted in 2016 and someone just comes today to promise them freedom and payment of their children’s school fees. I think this is a free lesson to our youth that these politicians use you for political gain and dispose you thereafter. There is an impending demonstration being hyped by the MDC and I think the youth must be conscientised of politicians who want to use them for their personal gain,” said Mombe.

The inmates that Chamisa met complained about the erratic supply of water at the prison. Ironically, the MDC led Harare council is responsible for the supply of the water.