POLITICAL parties taking part in the Political Actors
Dialogue that was launched yesterday said the platform offered Zimbabweans an
opportunity to discuss pertinent issues affecting the country.
The leaders said this while addressing at least 5 000
people who thronged the Harare International Conference Centre for the ceremony.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa initiated the dialogue to
foster unity, peace and development in the country.
In her address, MDC-T president Ms Thokozani Khupe said the
dialogue would put ordinary people first.
“This dialogue is not top-up in approach but a bottom-up
approach. It’s not about President Mnangagwa or Khupe of Professor Madhuku but
about Zimbabweans,” she said.
“We may belong to different political parties but we have
the same aspirations. Differing is healthy but let it not make us to fight. I
thank the parties for putting their heads on the block despite the efforts of
prophets of doom. His Excellency the President said all the political parties
had their visions and he said he had this desire for us to share these visions
and I would like to say thank you your Excellency. I want to thank you for
believing that Zimbabwe is bigger than an individual or political party. This
is just the beginning of a long journey; it’s not an event but a process.”
National Constitutional Assembly president Professor
Lovemore Madhuku said they would address governance issues during the dialogue.
“The dialogue will be focusing on how best we can run our
country. Every Zimbabwean has an idea on how best we can run our country. In
this platform, we will be asking all Zimbabweans ‘what do you think is the best
way to run the country’,” he said.
People’s Democratic Party leader Lucia Matibenga said the
dialogue was not about elections but development.
“The elections came and went and the winners were
announced. This dialogue is not about any other thing but is about
development,” she said.
Trust Chikohora of the Coalition of Democrats said: “Our
economy is haemorrhaging with serious foreign currency shortages, high inflation
and the economy is not growing and is threatening to go into a recession. So it
means as Zimbabweans we need to come together to address these challenges.”
He also called on the country to re-engage with the
international community and called for the removal of sanctions.
“In this vein, I must be very clear that sanctions must go.
All of us as political leaders must say sanctions must go.”
Nesbert Mutengezanwa of the United African National Council
said dialogue was about ordinary Zimbabweans.
“This dialogue is important and is not about us, but about
the people. So let’s be leaders and not rulers by putting people first,” Mr
Mutengezanwa said.
United Democratic Movement leader Mr Peter Mapfumo said the
dialogue would also address ways to prevent youths from being used by
politicians.
Ms Melba Dzepasi of the #1980 Freedom Movement of Zimbabwe
said the dialogue was open to everyone, including those that took part in
parliamentary and council elections and “not limited to presidential
candidates”.
Independent candidate Mr Brian Mteki thanked President
Mnangagwa for creating the dialogue platform.
“It’s not by right that we are here but by privilege from
His Excellency. We would like to thank you that you saw it fit that Zimbabwe is
not for party politics but for everyone,” said Mr Mteki.
Mr Divine Hove of the National Alliance of Patriotic and
Democratic-Republicans said: “What we have done is to bring down walls of
hating each other by finding ways to talk to each other. There is no need for
us to fight one another.”
Engineer Peter Munyanduri president of the National
Patriotic Front said the dialogue should address issues around
industrialisation, value addition and increase in capacity utilisation, and the
“removal of sanctions”.
Mr Andrew Peter Wilson of the Democratic Opposition Party
said the issue of the local currency should be addressed during the dialogue.
“We don’t need a new currency at the moment. We should look
at the fundamentals first because peoples’ savings are being eroded. This
dialogue provides a basis for the creation of a sustainable currency. With this
current situation, Zanu-PF cannot do it alone; that’s why we need everyone to
come on board including those that are not on board at the moment,” he said.
Herald
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