Despite their visit being overshadowed by the death of
former head of state Robert Mugabe, 95, former president of Ireland Mary
Robinson, who chairs The Elders, and her deputy, former first lady of SA Graça
Machel, met the two rival leaders separately.
The visit was a follow-up to one in July 2018, a few weeks
before Zimbabwe went to the polls.
After meeting The Elders on Saturday, MDC Alliance
president Nelson Chamisa told journalists that for Zimbabwe to forge ahead
there was need for political and economic reforms.
“Fixing politics through genuine and credible political
dialogue for comprehensive political and economic reforms is the only viable
solution to the challenges Zimbabwe is facing,” he said.
In a statement attributed to Robinson, The Elders said
since last year the situation in Zimbabwe had gone from promising to
disappointment with political contestations, human rights abuse and suppression
of freedom of expression taking centre stage ahead of development.
“Last year I visited Zimbabwe on the cusp of landmark
elections to find people determinedly optimistic about the future. Today that
optimism has gone amid a worsening economic crisis, entrenched political
polarisation and a culture of fear, paranoia and state violence.
“Yet I have been heartened by hearing from courageous women
and church leaders from across society who are meeting to nurture dialogue and
reimagine their country’s future. They offer an example that all Zimbabweans
should follow,” reads the statement.
After the separate meetings, The Elders said they urged,
“all political leaders to find a way out of the current impasse and act
constructively in the interests of the whole nation”.
The Elders are yet to be successful in negotiating through
impasses in Zimbabwe. In their most high-profile attempt in 2008, Mugabe denied
former UN secretary-general, the late Kofi Annan, former US president Jimmy
Carter and Machel access into Zimbabwe. Times
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