by Virimayi Chidembo
Nelson Chamisa lost the plot when he naively surmised that youthfulness would be a passport to victory using his generational consensus concept to appeal to the youth vote. The thrashing of the MDC Alliance leader at the recently harmonized elections proves beyond reasonable doubt that maturity and experience matters for one to lead our beloved Zimbabwe.
When he assumed power through chicanery after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai, rather than unifying the MDC-T, Chamisa tried to alienate anyone he perceived as a threat to his throne.
He was divisive when he should have been a unifier, using his paramilitary bully-boys, the-so-called vanguard to intimidate all dissent within the party.
When he became leader of the MDC Alliance, he did everything possible to anger his allies by fielding opposing candidates when there had been an express agreement not to do so.
At almost every rally, event or interview, he lied, exaggerated or overstated the truth. Whether it was about money promised by U.S. President Donald Trump, impossibly-fast speed trains, claiming to be behind Rwandan ICT policy or about Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo's knobkerrie, the MDC Alliance leader just couldn't seem to stop himself from veering further and further away from the truth and reality.
Chamisa's sexism put off many women in their droves. He has spoken about women as no better than property, like when he offered his sister in a bet, spoken about how he will confine his wife home and how he can be with any woman he wishes. His chauvinism have demonstrated, perhaps more than anything else, that one's age has little bearing on outdated and prehistoric attitudes.
Chamisa and his motley crew composed of his side-kick Tendai Biti and Dewa Mavhinga made their trip of shame late last year to the United States of America to craft their “conditions” for the lifting of sanctions (ZIDERA) which has since been passed in law by the Donald Trump administration. The blunders of this previous presidential hopeful exposed him as not being fit for the presidential throne as he prioritized his selfish interests at the expense of the nation.
Chamisa and his people will continue to claim that they have tremendous support, but even hardcore MDC supporters are admitting the truth, that Chamisa stole defeat from the jaws of victory. Put simply, there wasn’t enough groundwork for the party to ensure victory.
The MDC thought they had everything they needed to finally assume power in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, they did not count on a candidate who alienated himself from potential voters, showed himself so inept on the national and international stage and kept plunging from crisis to crisis during his short but error-laden leadership.
It’s high time the MDC-Alliance swallows its pride and accepts that they did not do enough in this election and stop holding the country to ransom with their frivolous petition challenging the presidential outcome.
