Chamisa Renews Call for National Dialogue Amid Deepening Political Divisions

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has renewed calls for national dialogue (image source)

HARARE — Opposition politician Nelson Chamisa has renewed calls for national dialogue, urging Zimbabweans to “find each other and walk in unity” amid warnings that deepening political and social divisions are undermining the country’s development and cohesion. In a Unity Day statement released on Wednesday, Chamisa said intolerance, hatred and disunity have increasingly come to define Zimbabwe’s politics, institutions, churches and even households, leaving the nation “deeply fractured politically, socially and economically.”

His remarks come against the backdrop of an intensely polarised political environment dominated by rivalry between the ruling Zanu PF and a fragmented opposition movement. The opposition landscape has splintered into multiple formations, weakened by internal power struggles, court disputes, recalls of legislators and competing claims to legitimacy. The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), once the country’s most formidable opposition force and formerly led by Chamisa, has been severely destabilised by factionalism and parallel structures, with critics arguing that its parliamentary presence has been significantly diminished.

Chamisa said unity must go beyond symbolism and rhetoric, insisting that national recovery can only begin through genuine dialogue and mutual understanding. “Zimbabweans must find each other and walk in unity, celebrating unity in diversity,” he said. “We must build a shared vision that unites all citizens under a common trajectory — the Zimbabwe we desire, the Zimbabwe we want and the Zimbabwe we demand.”

He warned that Unity Day celebrations risk ringing hollow while long-standing national grievances remain unresolved. Chamisa cited the legacy of Gukurahundi, disputed elections and persistent political intolerance, violence and internal party conflicts as major obstacles to genuine national healing. He also pointed to widening socio-economic inequalities, rising unemployment, entrenched poverty and continued migration and brain drain as symptoms of a fractured nation. “The negative energy we waste fighting one another could instead be redirected toward productive solutions and meaningful collaboration,” he said, adding that Zimbabweans often fail to recognise their own role in perpetuating divisions.

Chamisa accused government leaders of prioritising political survival, personal gain and partisan battles at the expense of national reconciliation and inclusive development. Political analysts have echoed concerns about a shrinking democratic space, pointing to the arrest and detention of opposition figures, activists and critics as signs of growing intolerance. They argue that the use of law enforcement and the justice system to suppress dissent has deepened mistrust and entrenched fear, further weakening prospects for meaningful dialogue.

Calling for a sustainable, long-term solution to Zimbabwe’s recurring electoral disputes, Chamisa said credible elections are central to restoring national unity. “Zimbabwe must honour and respect the voice of its citizens by ending contested and discredited national processes,” he said. “Resolving this issue is critical to addressing the country’s deeper challenges.”

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