Sikhala, Biti Move to Isolate Chamisa

A new storm is ripping through the opposition as veteran firebrands Job Sikhala and Tendai Bitimarshal a breakaway effort that critics say is aimed squarely at stealing Nelson Chamisa’s support base — and they’ve roped in a clutch of controversial figures to make it happen. The group is set to hold a high-stakes press conference on 28 October 2025 at SAPES Trust, an event organisers say will unveil a roadmap to fight ZANU-PF’s “2030 agenda” and lay the groundwork for a fresh political platform ahead of the 2028 elections.

Tabloid tongues are wagging: sources close to the organising team say Sikhala and Biti want to present themselves as the “practical alternative” to Chamisa — a blunt, unapologetic play for followers who have grown impatient with infighting and legal skirmishes inside the Citizens Coalition for Change. Organisers have reportedly secured some financial pledges to bankroll the launch and to reassure would-be donors that the upstart project is bankable.

But the plot thickens. Former CCC official Jameson Timba has been cast as a willing recruit, with political operator Obert Masaraure and others — frequently described by critics as figures who live off donor funding and the “democracy business” circuit — said to be among those bringing networks and resources to the fold. Opponents of the move say this alliance is little more than an opportunistic scramble for headlines and donor cash rather than a coherent plan to unify the opposition.

Sikhala himself has been publicly promoting the event on social media, signalling a coordinated push to frame the press conference as a citizen-led response to Zimbabwe’s constitutional malaise. Observers say the timing — and the choice of SAPES Trust as venue — is deliberately theatrical, built to attract media attention and to give nervous donors proof of momentum.

Not everyone is persuaded. Skeptics — including some veteran activists and online commentators — say the scheme smacks of factional infighting that will only deepen the opposition’s fragmentation. Many point to the reality that Nelson Chamisa has repeatedly insisted he will not participate in any extra-constitutional action and that any attempt to “outwit” him must wrestle with the reality of his deep grassroots reach. Without Chamisa’s blessing, critics say, the breakaway faces an uphill battle to win genuine mass support.

The SAPES venue itself has also been a flashpoint in recent days, with SAPES director Dr Ibbo Mandaza and others closely involved in organising public dialogues — a fact that has heightened the symbolic stakes of the 28 October gathering. With tensions running high, the press conference is likely to generate rows on social media, strident accusations in state and independent outlets, and urgent questions from donors watching to see whether this is a viable new formation or another short-lived splinter.

As the clock ticks down to the big reveal, the opposition’s chronic problem remains: will this initiative build a credible alternative to ZANU-PF and to Chamisa’s CCC — or will it accelerate a fragmentation that leaves voters disillusioned and the ruling party advantaged? Thursday’s press conference at SAPES Trust could provide answers — or produce only more drama.