HARARE – ZANU PF says it has no time to entertain calls for exclusive dialogue processes that are being demanded by some losing political players outside the Political Actors Dialogue (polad) platform, the party’s acting Secretary for Information and Publicity Patrick Chinamasa has said.
Polad is a platform for political parties that fielded presidential candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections.
In a statement, Chinamasa yesterday said Zanu PF had taken note of the desire by the MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa that he was keen to engage with President Mnangagwa in an exclusive one-on-one dialogue.
However, Chinamasa said any dialogue outside POLAD was meant to resurrect waning political life of some players.
“We dismiss the demand by Mr Chamisa and his political grouping in which he is insisting on a one-on-one dialogue with President Mnangagwa exclusive of other players.
“We take this opportunity to remind him that at the inception of this ongoing dialogue, President Mnangagwa has been on record saying that any political players willing to join the dialogue process are welcome to do so at any given time of their choice because dialogue is a continuous process”.
Chinamasa said issuing empty threats of violence or setting unbridled conditionalities to an on-going inclusive dialogue framework would not be tolerated.
He said ZANU PF reaffirms its support for the polad and called upon Mr Chamisa and like-minded political leaders to join the platform.
The revolutionary party, Chinamasa said, affirms its support to President Mnangagwa and his Government’s decision to embrace dialogue which has been endorsed by progressive political players locally and internationally.
“Indeed, the duty to create the Zimbabwe we want, lies with every Zimbabwean, notwithstanding the colour of their skin, tribe or political persuasion.
“We continuously encourage all political players to take this dialogue seriously as a convergence platform to share ideas on how to take the country forward. We further state that the President’s call for dialogue is not an act of cowardice nor a sign of weakness as some have been tempted to think. Rather, it is a gesture of statesmanship, inclusivity and maturity and the hallmarks of a listening President. The polad dialogue platform which is the motion inclusive of all political players and must be supported by sober thinking Zimbabweans”.
Chamisa’s MDC Alliance is desperate for relevance after the High Court last month found that his outfit was not a legal entity. – Herald
