With less than a month until London’s local elections, a young Green candidate in Brixton is hoping for success at the polls by bringing his community-first campaign to voters’ front doors and social media feeds.
Zvikomborero Chihoro first launched his bid to represent Brixton Rush Common on 12 March, running on a promise to be “unapologetically accountable” to the area’s residents.
Since then, the 28-year-old has documented his campaign across social media while also canvassing the streets of Brixton most days after work.
Chihoro said: “You knock on someone’s door and they’re saying, ‘I’ve seen your stuff already.’
“So it’s working. It’s reaching the people it needs to reach.”
Chihoro, who often goes by ‘Zviko,’ has now amassed almost 90,000 likes on TikTok, gained close to 8,000 followers on Instagram and received several influential shoutouts from his party’s leader — who also happens to be his biggest political inspiration.
“I knew that I aligned with the Green Party, but Zack being unapologetically himself, saying the things he did and shifting the direction of the party in the way that he has done, had a big impact on me,” Chihoro said.
“I think in order for politics to actually make a difference, politicians need to be themselves and representative of the communities they serve — Zack is a perfect embodiment of that.
“It resonated with me because I get messages from people asking me why I’m not wearing a suit or why I’m wearing a bonnet in my videos. But I think the reason my campaign has picked up so much momentum is because I am just being myself.”
Born in Zimbabwe, Chihoro moved to the UK at four, growing up in a predominantly white suburb in Birmingham before moving to Brixton in 2023.
Chihoro, who identifies as English, British, and Zimbabwean, said: “I always felt different but no one ever treated me differently.
“A lot of what Zack Polanski talks about concerning immigration and the way we view people from around the world, that’s how I see the world. It’s about togetherness. It’s about positivity.”
Having rooted himself within Brixton’s diverse community, Chihoro continued sharpening his own political beliefs, sourcing inspiration from figures like Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela and Zohran Mamdami.
Compelled to address the challenges facing his neighborhood, Chihoro began by supporting the Protect Brockwell Park (PBP) campaign and has since developed an extensive set of campaign policies.
This includes advocating for victims and descendants of the Windrush Scandal in Brixton, developing career masterclasses for local youth and committing to tackling Lambeth’s social housing crisis.
Chihoro said: “The reason I’m building some of this social media profile is to highlight these issues—the entire country needs to know how people are living.
During his campaign, Chihoro has worked with a family of six living in a one-bedroom open plan flat and has pledged to support the residents of Cressingham Gardens estate.
“Win or lose, I want to help the people there because what’s happening is terrible,” he said.
But community engagement isn’t entirely new to Chihoro.
After being hired by the RMF Group in 2020 through the Conservative Party’s Kickstart Scheme, Chihoro’s work supporting underrepresented groups to gain employment earned him an invite to introduce then-chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of his keynote speech at the 2021 Conservative Party Conference.
“My speech for Rishi Sunak made me believe that I was good at this,” he said.
“I think I’ve always been a man of the community and right now I am focused on Brixton Rush Common.
“But I want to change the world. I’ve said that to people my whole life. People might think I am delusional but I know I have the capability.”
The History and Education graduate, who has carved out a career helping businesses deliver on their social impact, hopes his campaign encourages the younger generation to engage politically, regardless of their experience or background.
“I want young people— young black men and women—to see me and think, ‘he doesn’t look like he’s about to talk politics but he is talking about politics’,” Chihoro said.
“Being able to inspire them is one of the main reasons why I’m running because I wish there were more people like that when I was a kid.”
In the 2022 local elections, all three council member seats in Brixton Rush Common were filled by Labour candidates and since 2006, Lambeth Council has been under Labour Party majority control.
However, Chihoro is confident about his chances on 7 May and believes spreading his message online is key.
“I think in order for politics to speak to the people, it has to come to social media,” Chihioro said.
“In this local community, I want people to see that I care.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about the people that we’re trying to serve and I think all politicians need to remember that.”
Featured image credit: Zvikomborero Chihoro
Join the discussion