Key dates in Chamisa’s career

1978

● Nelson Chamisa is born in Masvingo, southeastern Zimbabwe, on February 2

1998

● Elected president of the student representative council in his first year at Harare Polytechnic, where he studied marketing

1999

● At 21, Chamisa becomes a founding member of the Movement for Democratic Change

2003

● At 25, Chamisa becomes the second-youngest MP in Zimbabwe (Tafadzwa Musekiwa, who became an MP at 24, remains the youngest on record)

2006

● Elected MDC spokesman

2009-2013

● Serves as minister of information, communication and technology in Zimbabwe’s national unity government

2011

● Elected MDC organising secretary

2014

● Replaced as MDC secretary-general by Douglas Mwonzora

2016

● Appointed as one of three vice-presidents of the MDC

2018

● Following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai, Chamisa is elected acting president of the MDC for a period of 12 months