Mnangagwa or Chamisa cannot dictate terms of convening national dialogue

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leader Emmerson Mnangagwa and Movement for Democratic Change leader Nelson Chamisa cannot dictate the terms of convening dialogue because what is at stake is a conflict between the two.

Ironically this was said by the MDC in a statement in which it set out five-point plan for dialogue.

It said for dialogue to take place there must be a neutral convenor.

“What is at stake is a conflict mainly between Mnangagwa and president Adv Nelson Chamisa. As a consequence, conflict transcends to the supporters of the MDC and ZANU-PF,” the MDC said.

Mnangagwa and 17 other political parties agreed that National Peace and Reconciliation Commission chair Selo Nare and Zimbabwe Gender Commission chair Margaret Sangarwe Mkahanana would co-chair the national dialogue.

The MDC said Mnangagwa had no authority to declare how dialogue should happen but at the same it said Chamisa could not dictate the terms either.

“None of the two actors can, therefore, dictate the terms of convening dialogue,” the MDC said. “Neither can the MDC accept Mnangagwa being the convenor of dialogue through a proxy.  As a matter of fact, the MDC does not recognize the Presidency of Mnangagwa.”

Below is the full statement:

Mnangagwa misses the point on the external facilitator

The MDC is concerned by the mischievous statements of Dambudzo Mnangagwa pertaining to conducting the dialogue in Zimbabwe.

For dialogue to take place, the convenor must be neutral and must be seen to be neutral.

What is at stake is a conflict mainly between Mnangagwa and President Adv Nelson Chamisa. As a consequence, conflict transcends to the supporters of the MDC and Zanu PF.

None of the two actors can, therefore, dictate the terms of convening dialogue.

Neither can the MDC accept Mnangagwa being the convenor of dialogue through a proxy.

As a matter of fact, the MDC does not recognize the Presidency of Mnangagwa.

It was clear from the ZEC processes that the numbers kept changing.

Observer missions made the point that results were unverifiable and untraceable.

For Mnangagwa to claim that there is more than 60% of the vote represented at the dialogue he is convening through a proxy is dishonesty and ignorant of the above facts.

What concerns the MDC is that illegitimacy issues around Mnangagwa are holding the country back.

The people of Zimbabwe are suffering, the wheels are coming off on the economy, social service delivery is abandoned and the lives of citizens are being unnecessarily lost in hospitals that have been turned into death traps.

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