Some political parties that spurned the Political Actors
Dialogue after it was launched in February this year are now approaching
authorities seeking to get involved, President Mnangagwa has said.
Speaking at a meeting yesterday to chart the way forward following
the successful launch of the dialogue, President Mnangagwa said he referred
those political parties that approached him to the convenors.
The process is being co-convened by National Peace and
Reconciliation Commission chairperson retired Justice Selo Nare and Zimbabwe
Gender Commission chairperson Mrs Margaret Sangarwe-Mukahanana.
“I have received inquiry from some political parties
outside the dialogue, who were once here and left, who want to come back, but I
have told them to go to the conveners,” said President Mnangagwa, without
naming the concerned political parties.
Out of the 23 political parties that took part in the July
31 harmonised elections last year, 21 joined the political dialogue aimed at
finding a concensus on solving problems affecting the country and address
various socio-economic and political issues.
MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa refused to join the
dialogue, setting conditions which were settled by the electoral process for
him to get involved.
The electoral process ended with a ruling of the
Constitutional Court confirming the results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission which showed that President Mnangagwa had outrightly won.
The meeting at State House was the first since the official
launch of the dialogue process.
President Mnangagwa briefed the political parties on
various developments that have taken place since the launch, adding that the
parties’ call for a peaceful resolution to the challenges facing the nation had
been well received in the sub-region, the continent and internationally.
“Our collective call that day for the peaceful resolution
of the challenges facing the nation was well received,” he said. “The call
earned us the envy of not just our Sadc sub-region, but that of the continent
and the wider progressive international community in seeking internal solutions
to internal challenges.”
President Mnangagwa said the challenges facing the nation
needed a collective approach.
“Let me emphasise that although as Government we have the
Transitional Stabilisation Programme as our roadmap for addressing the economic
challenges facing our nation, we can still, as a collective, share ideas with
the people on how best to resolve the challenges,” he said.
“This call from ordinary citizens is for protection from
incessant and often unjustified price hikes, is ringing loud and clear.”
President Mnangagwa said the recently launched Tripartite
Negotiating Forum should be at the centre of bringing Government, business and
labour in crafting strategies to enhance macroeconomic stability in the country
and preserve the value of salaries.
“As we roll out dialogue, we also need to brief the general
populace on devolution and how it is being implemented,” he said.
“Many of our people may not actually know that the process
of devolving power to the provinces and local authorities has in fact started.
However, certain legal processes need to be completed first before Provincial
Councils can be constituted to fully assume the powers and responsibilities
being devolved to them.
“I must emphasise that the cornerstone of devolution shall
be, among others, the enhancement of good, people-centred governance and the
implementation of effective economic projects and programmes that create jobs
and transform livelihoods, while maintaining the essential tenets of a unitary
State.”
President Mnangagwa said it was important that people
benefit from their natural resources and contribute to the fiscus. He also briefed the parties on the dialogue with the
European Union.
“Already, the EU has shown commendable willingness to
re-engage, as evidenced by the positive developments in recent weeks,” said
President Mnangagwa. “In that regard, the meeting which has been scheduled for
November this year should yield tangible results along the path to full
normalisation of relations with that bloc.
“At the moment, the re-engagement with the EU is at the
officials’ level, but they have requested for it to be escalated to ministerial
and political leadership levels.
“Naturally, it is our hope that other sections of the
international community will also come on board and embrace us as an equal
partner, as we emerge from decades of isolation and stagnation. Such
re-engagement will assist in fulfilling one of our agenda items namely, revival
of industries and investment in re-industrialisation for job creation. The
preservation of peace and unity is critical to the achievement of these
milestones.”
President Mnangagwa said it was critical that the various
investment deals that Government has entered into with various investors be
implemented expeditiously.
“The efficient provision of utilities such as water,
electricity, roads, rail and airports should help attract investors and also
anchor our efforts to achieve Vision 2030 as an upper middle income, knowledge
and technology driven society,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the dialogue was one building
block to attain that vision.
He reiterated Government’s commitment to eradicate
corruption in all its forms.
“The pace might appear slow, but the anti-corruption
crusade has taken off in earnest,” said President Mnangagwa. “We are reviewing
our institutional framework for dealing with this vice which has reached
monstrous levels.
“It is important to entrench transparency and honesty in
conducting State business in order that we curtail the prejudice perennially
suffered by Government and ordinary people through underhand deals by fellow
citizens, who in some instances, act in cohorts with criminal elements from
outside our borders.”
President Mnangagwa said the law on unexplained wealth
being crafted will help fight corruption. Herald
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