Tinotenda Hove- Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has appealed to South Africa’s major political parties to support democracy and the holding of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe, saying the country’s political crisis continues to affect the entire region.

Speaking to South African broadcaster eNCA on Monday night, Chamisa said Zimbabweans need external support to resolve long-standing political and governance challenges.

Asked about the implications of a possible third term for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Chamisa warned that such a move would deepen Zimbabwe’s crisis and worsen its spillover effects on neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa.

“Well, of course, that’s an extension of corruption. It’s an extension of illegitimacy. It’s an extension of unemployment,” Chamisa said.
He added that Zimbabwe’s instability has contributed to mass migration. “It’s an extension of more problems for South Africa. As you know, over two million Zimbabweans are in the diaspora, particularly in South Africa, and we are a burden to our neighbours,” he said.

Chamisa argued that the challenges would persist unless Zimbabwe’s political system is fundamentally reformed. “We continue to have that extension until and unless the Zimbabwean problem is fixed. So we need… it’s not a personality issue per se, but it’s a systems issue, it’s a process issue,” he said.

He stressed the need for consensus around state institutions and national processes. “We need to have institutions of the state that are agreed upon. We need to have processes of the nation, national processes must be agreed upon,” Chamisa said.

According to the opposition leader, elections must be credible and widely accepted. “Elections must produce outcomes that are supported by all citizens, just like in South Africa, in Botswana and any other civilised, democratic country. That is what we want to see, and that’s our fight,” he said.

Chamisa directly appealed to South Africa’s political leadership, saying, “This is why we continue to say to South Africa, to ANC, to the DA, to EFF: help us help ourselves.”
“Our fight is a fight for justice, a fight for freedom, a fight for constitutionalism and a fight for democracy, a fight for change. Help us so that we help ourselves,” he added.

When asked why he believed the 2028 elections could be different from the disputed polls of 2013, 2018 and 2023, Chamisa said change would only come through sustained struggle.

“That’s why we have a fight. It’s not going to be different if we don’t fight. It’s a struggle. As you know, not all struggles are instant coffee,” he said.

He described the process as long and demanding. “It’s not a walk in the park, you know? It’s not an overnight thing. It’s always a marathon. It’s always a relay,” Chamisa said.

Drawing parallels with historical struggles, he added, “We must fight. You know that fighting the dictatorship in South Africa, the apartheid regime, was not an overnight job. Fighting dictatorship in Zimbabwe under the Rhodesian regime of Ian Douglas Smith was not overnight. It was quite an uphill task.”

Chamisa said the opposition remained determined despite the challenges. “And we are not under any illusion that ours is a fight, and it’ll take time. But we are not going to relent. We are not going to give up until we achieve our victory and success,” he said.

He concluded by accusing the current administration of deepening corruption and weakening state institutions. “So yes, it’s a fight. We are fighting for reforms. We are fighting to make sure that we stop all the tomfoolery by Mr Mnangagwa and his team,” Chamisa said.

“We are fighting to make sure that we stop corruption and the raiding of state coffers and the looting of national resources, which has actually gone to another level. We are fighting to make sure that we restore the sanctity and the integrity of our institutions of government, which, as you are aware, have actually gone to the dogs,” he added.