OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa should forget about Southern African Development Community (Sadc) intervening in the August 2023 election dispute and should instead find ways for his grievances to be heard, political observers have said.
Chamisa admitted in a statement on Monday that the regional body has ignored his pleas to have Zimbabwe on its agenda.
The former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader has been pinning hopes on Sadc after he rejected the August 2023 elections as rigged in favour of Zanu PF.
“Therefore, we have advisedly been patiently waiting on our request,” he wrote in his long winding statement.
“On the 29th of April, however, since considerable time had passed, yet we had sought to resolve this issue much earlier, we delivered our follow-up to Sadc for which we await a response to determine a clear path forward to resolve the governance crisis and leadership dispute.”
However, political analysts said Zimbabwe was no longer on Sadc’s radar, adding that the opposition leader should desist from entertaining the illusion that the regional body will help to solve the country’s political crisis.
“To think that Sadc will convene a meeting on Zimbabwe is far-fetched and delusional,” said political analyst Aaron Hamauswa.
“The opposition in the country lost the opportunity just after the election when all observer missions condemned the polls.
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“It is now water under the bridge and the regional body has serious issues to deal with in Mozambique and DRC. Chamisa should just move on because no Messiah is coming.”
Another political analyst Lazurus Sauti said although Zimbabweans were still in election mode, Chamisa’s position had been made difficult by the fact that he did not have a constituency to represent after leaving the CCC.
“Zimbabweans are still in election mode even though they cast ballots in August 2023. People have been wondering where opposition politics in the country is headed after Nelson Chamisa quit the CCC,” he said.
“His recently-released statement is, therefore, intended to put pressure on Sadc and Zanu PF.
“But it is crucial to keep in mind that the election was concluded, and his appeal to Sadc is made even more difficult by the fact that he is no longer the leader of the CCC, the party he ran for office (under) in the general election of 2023.”
He, however, said Sadc remained significant to Zimbabwean affairs.
In August, Zimbabwe will host the Sadc summit.
“In light of this, Chamisa’s chances of receiving a favourable ruling are slim,” Sauti said.
“As usual, nations like Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania will support Zanu PF.”
