By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has announced his return to active politics just two years after quitting his party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Addressing journalists, Chamisa painted a bleak picture of the country’s condition, citing economic hardship, political instability, social fragmentation and what he termed moral decline.
He said many Zimbabweans continue to live without dignity or meaningful opportunity decades after independence. He also accused state institutions of being excessively partisan, arguing that this has weakened national unity and eroded public trust.
Central to his message was the claim that Zimbabwe’s long-running challenges stem from a governance crisis rooted in disputed elections, corruption and state capture.
Chamisa dismissed calls to “move on” from past political disputes, insisting that unresolved structural and institutional issues must be addressed to avoid repeating historical failures.
He said that Agenda 2026 was not a political party, but a citizens’ movement designed to transcend party, tribe, race and class.
“This is not about positions or personalities. It is about purpose. It is a movement by the citizens, for the citizens and from the citizens,” he said.
He said the movement would focus on five key pillars: Building a new national consensus; reclaiming citizen agency and leadership, preparing for a future citizens’ government; driving a moral revolution and re-engaging the international community
Chamisa said unity would be built through dialogue, consultation and consensus, rather than elite-driven politics.
“We fall together, we rise together. There is no separate destiny for a few,” he said.
Chamisa placed strong emphasis on Zimbabweans in the diaspora, describing them as the “backbone” of the economy and promising them a central role in the movement’s structures and global advocacy campaign.