An increasingly flippant MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa
yesterday desperately reached out to President Emmerson Mnangagwa by calling
for dialogue between his beleagured party and Zanu-PF.
He said the opposition party, which is currently in the
throes of internecine power struggles ahead of its congress this month, will
try to rope in regional countries to facilitate the envisaged talks.
Chamisa’s overtures – made at the memorial service of the
late MDC president and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at Humanikwa
Village in Buhera, Manicaland, yesterday — come barely three days after he
threatened to roll out protests, which have often turning violent.
“We do not want to remove Zanu-PF by force, but for our
agenda to move forward (as a country), there has to be political dialogue.
Dialogue between Zanu-PF and the MDC, dialogue between President Mnangagwa and
us,” said Chamisa.
“After congress, I am going around Sadc lobbying for the
regional bloc to come and assist us and work with us,” he said.
The MDC-Alliance has been snubbing the national political
parties’ dialogue initiated by President Mnangagwa with 18 other opposition
parties that contested in last year’s general elections.
However, for the first time since the July 30 harmonised
elections, Chamisa acknowledged President Mnangagwa and thanked him for
extending support towards the memorial service.
“Whenever something good has been done, we have to
acknowledge. “If you accept me as a leader you listen to me, allow me to
thank the presence of members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) who are
maintaining order here. . .
“I differ with (President) Mnangagwa in a lot of things,
but when good things have been done, we should acknowledge,” he said.
The memorial, which degenerated into a political rally of
the opposition party, also brought to the fore current tensions within the
fractious party. The party’s high-ranking officials, vice president Engineer
Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, were sidelined, with the
latter seated at the back row.
Speaking at the same event, Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java —
daughter to the late politician and Glen View South Member of Parliament —
described her father as a unifier. She thanked Government for supporting her
late father’s memorial.
“Our father was a unifier who managed to bring all
Zimbabweans together. This memorial is important to us as we celebrate his
life. It helps in bringing closure to the sad chapter of losing him,” she said.
“I reiterate the call in thanking Government for the
logistical and material support they rendered during this memorial, we are very
appreciative of that,” she said.
Mr Tsvangirai succumbed to colon cancer in February 2018
and was buried at his rural home. On Friday, Government dispatched two graders
to clear the road linking Murambinda Road to Mr Tsvangirai’s homestead and also
provided food for the memorial service.
President Mnangagwa has been supporting the Tsvangirai
family even throughout the illness of the former opposition leader.
Government provided air tickets for family members who
visited him in South Africa when he was receiving treatment.
It also paid hospitals bills, ferried Tsvangirai’s body to
its final resting place.
Furthermore, it continues to pay tuition fees for the late
leader’s children in Australia and South Africa.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister
Monica Mutsvangwa described Government’s gesture as consistent with President
Mnangagwa’s commitment to unity and peace.
“It is in the spirit of oneness that President Mnangagwa is
showing this gesture. . .” she said. Sunday Mail
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