Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader said yesterday he has quit his party, accusing the country’s ruling party of hijacking the organization and causing the removal of dozens of his members of parliament and councillors.

Nelson Chamisa, 45, was President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s main rival in the 2018 and 2023 disputed elections. On Thursday, he accused Mnangagwa of decimating the opposition by authoritarian means.

In a 13-page statement on his social media platforms and on one of the party’s social media page, Chamisa criticized the economically and politically troubled southern African country’s record of authoritarianism.