What next for Zimbabwe’s embattled opposition?

Dendere warned that if Zimbabwe’s disastrous economic situation does not improve, the challenge for the government “is not going to be Nelson Chamisa — it’s the next guy who’s going to put himself on fire on the street”.

“It’s not going to be the opposition that can be negotiated with — it’s people who are going to come down to Harare and burn down buildings, we’ve seen this before in Zimbabwe,” she said.

But Matyszak suggested that last week’s opposition street protests against alleged poll fraud, when six people died under army gunfire, are unlikely to be repeated.

“Historically Zimbabweans are reluctant to take to the streets — they don’t really have that tradition or culture of big demonstrations,” he said.

“And of course we’ve seen the very heavy-handed response by the military which is certainly a disincentive to anybody thinking about taking to the streets.”

“Nelson Chamisa will certainly have his work cut out for him keeping the party together,” said Matyszak.

“The party is seriously underfunded because they don’t look like a prospective government, they don’t get that much in the way of donor funding.

“Nelson Chamisa himself took over the leadership of the party in very controversial circumstances,” he said of the 40-year-old pastor and lawyer.

Chamisa took control of the MDC despite bitter opposition from factions within the party, following the death of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February.

“Now that he’s lost the election those wounds might re-open and there might be further in-fighting within the party,” Matyszak said.

“I see stormy waters ahead for the opposition.”- AFP

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