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“Both Me And Mbeki Are Waiting For Mnangagwa On Talks,” Chamisa
9 February 2020
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Thabo Mbeki and Chamisa

Own Correspondent|Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says he and former South African president Thabo Mbeki are still waiting for President Emmerson Mnangagwa to report back to them when he will be ready to resume talks.

Chamisa said Mnangagwa is the one delaying the talks perhaps because he is not interested in talks with the opposition.

“I was in South Africa recently and president Mbeki said he is waiting for Mnangagwa since December, but he has not communicated back to him ever since,” Chamisa said. “He has tried to communicate with him but he has not communicated back.”

The MDC leader said this while meeting with members of the civil society in Harare on Thursday.

Mnangagwa insists that Chamisa must join a forum of losing 2018 presidential candidates known as the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad), which consists of fringe political parties.

“Zimbabweans are raring to go. They are saying we should never join the shadowy dialogue and they want their voice to be respected. They say don’t be pushed into shadowy platforms like Polad,” Chamisa said.

“That is the resounding voice. They say there must be genuine dialogue and a transitional arrangement to deal with the crisis of governance and legitimacy which is manifesting in the economic crisis.” He said Zimbabweans were disappointed that leaders of the 2017 coup had not delivered on their promises.

“People are disappointed that they were sold a dummy and they were duped,” he said. “Things have gone worse in the country.” 

“My big brother Mnangagwa should avoid the Sudanese scenario where leaders had to dialogue after a heavy loss of lives, let’s respect the sanctity of lives,” Chamisa said any genuine dialogue must include the military because the army was involved in Zimbabwean politics.

“I requested that if genuine dialogue takes place, we shouldn’t leave out the military,” he said. “They must be part of the equation, let the military come and present their grievances,” he said. “No wonder why the respected Zanla and Zipra were represented at the Lancaster House talks.”