BY MOSES MATENGA
OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa (pictured) says any dialogue to take Zimbabwe out of the prevailing crisis should prioritise the issues of the disputed 2018 election. Churches, labour, civic society and other stakeholders should also be part of the process, but the opposition leader appeared to shut out members of the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad), a platform made up of losing candidates in the July 30, 2018 elections as well as Zanu PF.
“The nature of the dialogue that is credible is dialogue that involves Zanu PF and the MDC and, of course, labour going forward to be consulted. Churches, civic society also needs to play a role and needs to be done through credible facilitation and adjudication with Zimbabwe being the main player for a wholly Zimbabwean solution to Zimbabwean challenges,” Chamisa told NewsDay yesterday.
“A credible solution in this country is only found when major players play a role. Look at the Lancaster House talks, only key players. Unity Accord, Global Political Agreement, key players. Even now, for this country to move, there must be an understanding of the crisis and the solution.”
On Polad, Chamisa said: “That is a sideshow. We don’t want a political rally, we need a political dialogue. We don’t want sideshows to settle some other secondary or primary scores,” he added.
Members of Polad include MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe, National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku and leaders of several obscure political parties.
Chamisa and Khupe had a bitter fallout in the battle to succeed the late MDC founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirayi, who died in February last year.
“There is a general understanding, a shared understanding of the nature of the crisis in Zimbabwe. President (Thabo) Mbeki appreciates this, (SA) President (Cyril) Ramaphosa appreciates it, Sadc appreciates it and so does everyone on the continent that the Zimbabwean problem is a political problem,” Chamisa said.
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“It is a crisis of governance and legitimacy out of disputed election upon disputed election and the only lasting solution is located in a political solution and dealing with disputed elections since the 1980s, the 1990s, early 2000s and it is still there in 2019.
“The problem was there between Zanu and PF Zapu, it was there between Zanu PF and ZUM (led by Edgar Tekere), it was there between (the late former President Robert) Mugabe and (the late) president (Morgan) Tsvangirai and this problem is known even by my opposite number (Mnangagwa) and that must be dealt with and anything that doesn’t resolve that is simply a delayed disappointment and we can’t move away from fundamental issues,” he said.
Chamisa added: “It has always been a character of Africanhood that if we have a problem, we come together, we stick together, we talk together and find common solutions together.”
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo referred questions to Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba, who was not picking up calls.
“(Former) President Mbeki came as the guest of the President (Mnangagwa) so the best person to talk to should be Cde Charamba,” Khaya Moyo said.
