President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson yesterday said the leader of the mainstream opposition MDC Nelson Chamisa “risked missing the bus” if he failed to pitch up for talks.
This comes as under-fire Mnangagwa is breaking new ground in his response to the worsening crisis in Zimbabwe by opening talks with opposition groups, as authorities begin to show more urgency about ending Zimbabwe’s decades-long political and economic mess.
Chamisa snubbed Mnangagwa’s talks-about-talks gathering at State House on Wednesday because he preferred the much-talked about national dialogue to be held under the guidance of an impartial convener. The dramatic development came after Mnangagwa had invited many of the country’s well-known opposition figures, including those who contested him in last year’s hotly-disputed presidential election.
Among the notable opposition politicians who attended Wednesday’s indaba were Thokozani Khupe, Nkosana Moyo, Lovemore Madhuku, Daniel Shumba, Elton Mangoma, Ambrose Mutinhiri and Bryn Mteki. In an exclusive interview with the Daily News yesterday, Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba urged Chamisa to drop his opposition to the talks saying he “risked missing the bus altogether if he insisted on pre-conditions that have either been met or are beyond the Executive.”
Charamba, who also doubles up as the deputy chief secretary to the President and Cabinet, alleged Chamisa’s decision to skip the meeting was “self-defeating” and claimed it was a sign that the he has “foreigners whispering to him.”
“As far as we are concerned, the question to us is, firstly, was that decision taken by Chamisa thoughtful and secondly whether it was independent? I would say it was thoughtless, the dialogue will proceed with or without him, except we don’t shut doors, we don’t shut windows, whenever he feels he wants to join, he will still be welcome, except he cannot hold the nation to ransom because he is not the summation of the nation.
“If he is having difficulties with his external constituency, which as of yesterday (Wednesday) had not given him the nod to participate, that is a matter for him and his donors to deal with. He should never globalise his predicament because the economy has to move on,” said Charamba.
In his letter to the chief secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, Chamisa’s chief of staff, Sesel Zvidzai, said the MDC’s position is that the dialogue process must be convened by an independent mediator and not one of the disputants.
“In this respect, the MDC believes that genuine dialogue can only take place if regionally facilitated and mediated by Sadc and guaranteed by the AU and the UN,” the MDC letter to Mnangagwa said.
Charamba said dialogue does not mean assimilation of the opposition by Zanu PF but rather will enhance cooperation among parties.
“I am raising this issue because I notice Chamisa has raised it, there is no implication at all that the President is the convener, no he isn’t or that Justice Sello Nare, head of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission is or isn’t the convener, we don’t know yet.
It is a matter that has to be resolved by the political parties, but the key issue is that they have put up mechanisms for resolving that issue,” he said.
Charamba said the ongoing talks among political parties should be managed locally, and ruled out any prospects of engaging foreigners to mediate the talks. Chamisa yesterday also exhorted the Church to mediate in the talks at a prayer meeting convened by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches held at a Harare hotel.
“Firstly, there was unanimity that national dialogue was important, so the principle of national dialogue was embraced; this is a national dialogue which should be a local affair under local management.
“Secondly, there was another decision that was reached to say that the dialogue must take the form and format of inter-State forum, there is a principle of parity which was embraced at yesterday’s (Wednesday) meeting, so they will meet as equals, whether you have structures or are the ruling party.”
Chamisa also spelt out 10 issues that Mnangagwa needed to meet before any meaningful dialogue could take place — including a requirement that all “prisoners of conscience” be freed, and that there be an immediate return to the barracks by the military.
-Daily News