Do we like them?Do we like Nelson Chamisa?
Our score: 5 out of 10. A real record of opposing a strongman government, set against a thin, unclear record on LGBTQ+ rights and unresolved claims about money.
Chamisa is an ordained pastor and a trained lawyer who was elected to Zimbabwe's parliament in 2003 at just 25, the youngest ever. He was a cabinet minister by 31 under the power-sharing government, then founded the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in 2020 after leaving the MDC-T. Since then his story has been one long, losing fight with Zanu PF.
In January 2026 he announced a return to frontline politics with 'Agenda 2026', pitched as a citizens' movement rather than a party. He called it “a clean break from the mistakes and missteps of the past” and attacked disputed elections and corruption. Not everyone is cheering: critics argue it splits an already fragile opposition.
The knocks have piled up since. In February a former CCC member and contributor filed a High Court application asking that Chamisa account for funds raised during his CCC leadership before forming any new party; no ruling had been reported at the time and no response from Chamisa was in the article. Then came claims that Zanu PF paid him to go soft on the term-extension bill, which he denies, and no evidence for them has been presented in what we read.
On the harm check for LGBTQ+ people, the record is thin and second-hand. Nehanda Radio reported in 2018 that unnamed MDC Alliance officials said he opposes same-sex marriage, and the head of the gay and lesbian group GALZ said he snubbed their request to meet. We found no on-the-record words from him, so we won't put beliefs in his mouth, but for a reader who wants an ally, quiet isn't the same as supportive.
Other marks are smaller. In 2018 a joke about marrying his sister off to Mnangagwa drew criticism, and he said he was sorry to anyone hurt. In 2021 his party said he had reservations about the efficacy and safety of the government's Covid vaccine rollout; a spokesperson said he would back a drive that was safe, and we found no direct quote from him.
There's a better side on migrants and democracy. In April 2026 he condemned xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans in South Africa as “wholly unacceptable” and pushed SADC and the African Union to act. After the 2023 election he rejected the official result and took his challenge to regional bodies, which is a long way from cosy.