Former Zimbabwean opposition leader turned social media activist Nelson Chamisa has enrolled for a two-year doctoral programme at the University of Oxford, sources close to him have confirmed.

The development comes months after Chamisa announced his withdrawal from frontline politics, leaving many of his supporters uncertain about the future of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the party he founded in 2022.

A close associate told Hurumende News Hub that Chamisa’s decision to pursue studies abroad signals “a new chapter” in his life, while deepening questions about his long-term role in Zimbabwean politics.

“Chamisa has left his followers behind to focus on a PhD at Oxford. He believes this is the right time to reflect, retool, and prepare for new opportunities,” the source said.

Chamisa, once considered the face of opposition politics in Zimbabwe, shocked many in January 2024 when he announced he was stepping down as CCC leader, citing infiltration and lack of accountability within the movement.

Since then, he has maintained an active presence on social media, but his formal political activities have been minimal.

Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor by training, rose to prominence as a youthful protégé of the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

He narrowly lost the disputed 2018 presidential election to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and has remained a polarising figure in Zimbabwean politics ever since.

His decision to leave the political stage has left many of his followers without clear leadership, with internal divisions continuing to fracture the opposition movement.

This Oxford enrollment could mark a permanent exit from active politics, while others believe he may return with renewed strategy and international clout.

For now, Chamisa’s political future remains uncertain, but his academic pursuit in the United Kingdom signals a definitive shift away from the turbulent terrain of Zimbabwe’s opposition politics.

A female legislator has sparked debate in Parliament after proposing the castration of convicted r@pists, especially repeat offenders, as a way to curb rising cases of s@xual violence.

Goromonzi West Member of Parliament, Beata Nyamupinga, raised the issue during Tuesday’s National Assembly sitting, urging lawmakers to urgently introduce tougher measures to safeguard women and children.

Her appeal came in the wake of two disturbing cases that drew widespread outrage the r@pe of a Grade 7 girl by a tout at Harare’s Rezende bus terminus, and a viral video showing two teenage boys allegedly gang-r@ping a 17-year-old girl.

“We are crying over the issue of rape. We are grieving as women of this country. The whole nation is not happy to see a grown man having s@xual intercourse with a young child,” Nyamupinga told Parliament.

She further encouraged her female colleagues to lobby President Emmerson Mnangagwa directly, stressing that traditional prison sentences were not enough since many offenders re-offend after release.

“Can we have something as a matter of urgency to ensure that if somebody is caught having s@xual intercourse with a minor, they should be castrated. If he maintains that manhood, he will not have the discipline to stop,” she argued.

Nyamupinga’s remarks received applause across the House, with many MPs acknowledging the seriousness of the issue.

Acting Speaker Joseph Tshuma condemned the abuse of minors as “incomprehensible and appalling” and advised Nyamupinga to introduce a Private Members’ Bill to push for tougher penalties, including possible life imprisonment for child r@pists.

“While Zimbabwe has abolished the death penalty, certain crimes, particularly the rape of minors, demand severe consequences,” Tshuma said.

NetOne CEO Raphael Mushanawani is under arrest over US$1.2 million fraud allegations, but his lawyers say it is a “political hit job,” with Learnmore Masunda as the mastermind behind the arrest.

In a strongly worded letter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), Mushanawani’s lawyer, Admire Rubaya, dismissed the charges as fabricated.

“Our client is a victim in a well-orchestrated ploy to extirpate him from the helm of NetOne,” Rubaya wrote, adding that the accusations were linked to internal power struggles.

He claimed that some individuals eyeing Mushanawani’s position had “name-dropped very powerful individuals” but stressed that “there is no involvement of any such political figures.”

ZACC alleges Mushanawani engaged Lunartech Solutions (Pvt) Ltd to upgrade NetOne’s SAGE 1000 system without board approval, despite the company already having a US$3.5 million contract with Farevic Systems (Pvt) Ltd for a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

But the defense insists the upgrade was necessary and board-approved.

“An upgrade to SAGE L200 was imperative and a viable alternative to ensure continued operations and avoid hacking risks,” the lawyers argued, saying the two systems needed to run concurrently until the ERP was fully functional.

They further argued that the SAGE upgrade was part of NetOne’s 2025 Strategic Plan to modernise its technology infrastructure.

The lawyers also rejected ZACC’s claim that Mushanawani authorised fraudulent addendums worth US$1.2 million.

“The only payments made are US$184,800 and US$88,002.57,” the letter stated.

On the allegation that Mushanawani approved an unapproved US$79,467 consultancy deal with Diztech (Pvt) Ltd, the defense was equally dismissive.

“No contract was ever signed and not a dime has been paid,” the lawyers responded.

Concluding their defense, Mushanawani’s legal team said he was being unfairly targeted.

“Our client is being victimised for doing things right and acting in the best interests of his principal. ZACC must disregard the machinations of his detractors,” Rubaya added.