Indeed, we heartily welcome them to the struggle, which I assure you will never be a crowded arena. At our meetings yesterday, the MDC executive organs welcomed the national convergence that is emerging in our troubled country where all players are now agreed that the way forward is to put pressure on this illegitimate regime. We have indeed become a big tent of patriotic Zimbabweans singing the same chorus from different social stations. That should be commended.
The party’s national council was unequivocal in its resolution yesterday that President Robert Mugabe and his government must leave office or face popular protests as they have failed to find lasting solutions to the problems facing the people. To this end, the party resolved yesterday to continue its provincial protest marches while co-coordinating and preparing for robust and comprehensive national action on a date to be announced. In that national action, we will be rallying the nation and all democratic forces to converge on the national demand that Mugabe and his government must retire. While our provincial demonstrations will continue, the logistics and mechanics for the national action are currently being worked out.
After our deliberations on the national crisis yesterday, the national council resolved that there has to be a political settlement that inspires confidence nationally, regionally and internationally. To this end, the national council, the party’s supreme decision-making body in between Congresses, resolved that the way forward is a multi-partisan National Transitional Authority.
Once bitten twice shy. It is our firm belief that the NTA must not be sculptured as the inclusive government we established seven years ago. The NTA must, by statute, operate parallel to the national executive authority of the country but with a specific mandate. The current regime should be left to deal with its own mess in terms of managing the economy. We cannot and should not make our hands dirty in this area.
The NTA will have a very limited tenure and a specific mandate to, among other things:
(a)Supervise the implementation of the Constitution, including the alignment of laws to the same
(b) Oversee and monitor the work of Commissions such as the Human Rights Commission, National Anti-Corruption Commission, National Peace, Healing and Reconciliation Commission, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and others.
(c) Oversee the political reform agenda, some reforms of which are now enshrined in the new Constitution as well as being involved in the preparation for credible elections.
(d) Oversee and monitor food aid and distribution
(e) Develop a shared National Vision and economic reconstruction programme. Our country needs its own Marshal Plan
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