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.
“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. Newsday
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