THE Joshua Nkomo National Foundation (JNNF) says it plans
to celebrate the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo’s birthday with a rare
political party leaders’ get-together bringing among others President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to share a meal of cow
hooves.
Nkomo, born on June 19, 1917 passed away on July 1, 1999 at
the age of 82.
The JNNF, a trust formed to celebrate the life of the late
Vice-President, has been holding annual events in June and July in remembrance
of the former liberation war giant.
A fortnight ago, the JNNF held a virtual memorial lecture
that was delivered by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (Osisa)
executive director Siphosami Malunga.
The lecture was held under the theme Celebrating 40 Years
of Independence – Back to the Future.
JNNF director-general Tapela Mmillili said the get-together
had nothing to do with trying to lay the groundwork for political dialogue
between Chamisa and Mnangagwa following the disputed 2018 polls.
“Traditionally, leaders will come together and share a meal
of amangqina (cow hooves) while having a conversation about many different
issues not necessarily politics. We want to bring the elders of Zipra, Zanla
and most importantly those of Zapu and Zanu PF and other political party
leaders in that context,” he said.
“For us, it is also a birthday, but in the context of
having the elders coming together to have a conversation and should anything
come out of it, good for the country but for us it’s just about offering a
platform for dialogue.”
Mnangagwa and Chamisa — while noting the need for dialogue
to move Zimbabwe forward — have adopted diametrically different and rigid
positions, frustrating any prospects for the holding of talks in the
foreseeable future.
Mnangagwa is currently having talks with fringe opposition
parties under the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) forum, a platform Chamisa
dismisses as a Zanu PF choir.
“I am sure you are aware of the formation of the Polad and
in general the views of the people in society are that this must be inclusive.
We know Chamisa has his own reasons for not attending Polad and wanting a
different platform; and the same goes for other leaders,” Mmillili added.
“However, the Joshua Nkomo Museum and Centre for Dialogue
hosts a number of dialogue sessions, offering a platform for dialogue, be they
political or economical and in this case it is about bringing our leaders to
have a conversation in that traditional sense.”
Analysts and the clergy emphasise the need for dialogue to
find a lasting solution to the country’s socio-economic crisis.
“Political and policy consensus must be reached, leading to
a national settlement that will transform purely competitive and mutually
exclusive visions to a shared national vision in which everyone feels
included,” Zimbabwe Council of Churches general-secretary Kenneth Mtata said
yesterday. Newsday
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