Chamisa Denies $64m Payout Claim After Humility Tweet Sparks Debate
HARARE — Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on Sunday said money has never been everything to him and he would not trade principle for profit, after he was accused on X of being paid $64 million by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to “kill the opposition.”
Chamisa had earlier posted a message on humility that has been interpreted by some as aimed at the late businessman Wicknell Chivayo and the fallout from the helicopter crash, and by others as a reflection on politics.
“Nothing in life is permanent. Be humble. Life is constantly changing, and no position, power, or privilege lasts forever. Stay humble. Treat your opponents with dignity and respect. Never forget that everything can change. Blessed Sunday,” Chamisa tweeted.
User @FToungana37244 replied to the tweet: “Did you get paid $64m by ED to kill the opposition in Zimbabwe?”
Chamisa responded:
“Am I really that powerful..to destroy the entire opposition, including you? Am I that uncouth, that cheap, or that morally bankrupt as to trade an entire nation and the future of generations to come for a few pieces of silver? Money has never been and will never be everything to me. Legacy is.”
He added: “I will not trade principle for profit, conscience for comfort, or the future of a nation for temporary gain. Money comes and goes, but history remembers. And when all is said and done, it is not what you accumulated that defines you, but what you stood for, what you defended, and what you left behind. That’s my story!”
Chamisa engaged several other tweets on this matter, some on support, while others demanding answers on the alleged bribery.
The $64 million claim refers to long-running allegations on social media that Chamisa was paid to weaken the opposition after he left the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in January 2024.
The party has since fractured, with self-declared interim secretary general Sengezo Tshabangu recalling MPs and councillors. Chamisa has repeatedly denied receiving money from ZANU PF or the state.
Chamisa’s Sunday message comes as Zimbabwe’s opposition remains fragmented, with no sign of a strong movement against the ruling Zanu PF.
The tweet drew mixed reactions, with supporters praising the call for humility and critics reviving questions over the collapse of the opposition after the August 2023 general elections.