Nelson Chamisa: The People of Zimbabwe Deserve Better
By Reason Wafawarova
Nelson Chamisa has posted another devotional on Facebook — this time from the book of Habakkuk — and once again, Zimbabwe has been invited to gather at the national virtual altar for a weekly dose of “Hold On, God Is Cooking Something.” At this rate, the opposition should just register as a church and save ZEC the paperwork.
Look, I say this with love: I am a Bible-believing, tongue-speaking, Pentecostal Christian myself. I’ve prayed mountains away and fasted meals I wasn’t even planning to eat. I respect Scripture. But even I must confess — we are now dangerously close to replacing political planning with prophetic poetry.
Chamisa quotes:
“Though the fig tree may not blossom…”
My brother, the fig tree did not just refuse to blossom — ZANU-PF uprooted it, burned the field, arrested the farmer, and is now exporting the ashes to Dubai. The situation requires more than a Sabbath reflection. Zimbabweans don’t need a verse; they need a plan. They need a movement. They need leadership that knows the difference between a rally and a sermon.
But instead, we get:
“We hold on to the promise…”
A promising thought — but hold on to what, exactly? Because at this point, holding on feels like gripping the edge of a cliff while the leadership is busy singing worship songs instead of pulling us up. You don’t win against a militarised state with “Blessed Sabbath” posts and cute hashtags like #GodIsInIt. ZANU-PF is playing chess while the opposition is playing Hillsong.
Let’s be honest: Chamisa’s weekly devotionals have become a soft, spiritual air freshener covering the stench of political paralysis. Each time accountability creeps in, he sprays a verse from Habakkuk or Isaiah, and suddenly people feel guilty for demanding actual strategy. It’s the oldest trick in the Pentecostal handbook: if you don’t have a plan, quote Scripture until people forget you needed one.
Zimbabwe does not need a national prayer warrior-in-chief. We already have 40 years of those. We need someone who can plan, organise, resist, mobilise, and negotiate — preferably all in the same week.
Faith is important, yes — but faith without works is dead. And faith without a political plan is Zimbabwean politics.
Even the miracles in the Bible required effort:
God parted the Red Sea — but Moses still had to stretch his hand.
God brought down Jericho — but Joshua still had to march.
God fed Elijah — but Elijah still had to walk to the widow’s house.
Meanwhile, Chamisa seems to be praying for victory while refusing to walk to the polling station of responsibility. Miracles don’t replace action; they respond to action.
There is a growing sense that Chamisa is either avoiding the political battlefield, trying to impress an invisible constituency, or simply exhausted. Either way, the people of Zimbabwe deserve better than a weekly scriptural pep talk to distract them from the fact that nothing is happening.
And let’s face it: used too often, inspirational verses become political paracetamol — they reduce the pain but cure nothing. They keep the people calm while reality gets worse. They create the illusion of momentum where there is none.
Zimbabweans are tired. They don’t need another Sabbath blessing; they need a Monday-to-Friday strategy. They need leadership that understands that “waiting on the Lord” does not mean sitting on your hands while authoritarianism remodels the constitution.
Zimbabwe is not short of faith.
Zimbabwe is short of functional opposition politics.
Chamisa has the charm, the intelligence, and the affection of the nation. But he now needs to graduate from prophetic optimism to practical leadership.
Because the people of Zimbabwe will always love God — but they are beginning to wonder whether their political leader loves strategy just as much.
Faith without works is dead.
And in Zimbabwe, dead faith is what keeps bad politics alive.