The President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa has admitted that the only way to take the country forward is through dialogue and working together.
Mnangagwa’s words come high on the heels of Movement for Democractic Change (MDC-Alliance) president Nelson Chamisa’s recent calls that he will force march Mnangagwa to the negotiating table, liking it or not.
Chamisa told the gathering at the late MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai’s memorial service that he will pull Mnangagwa to the table, despite him (Mnangagwa) deeping his shoe studs into the ground to avoid being pulled.
Chamisa used the words; “If you do not want dialogue, we will drag you to it kicking and screaming.”
In what seems to be a respond to Chamisa’s recent calls, Mnangagwa twitted on Sunday 5 May 2019; “Today, as we remember Morgan and his contribution to the nation, let us all choose to live the values which he embodied unity, dialogue and patriotism.
“Only by working together, irrespective of party, ethnicity or totem, can we build a peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe for all.”
Meanwhile, while the two had been saying they were both ready for talks, in reality, they have been skirting one another. Mnangagwa at one time even presided over a so-called dialogue with some political party leaders who took part in the 2018 disputed elections. Chamisa refused to attend and some of the participants walked out, saying the talks without Chamisa, were but only a joke.
Speaking from different podiums, Chamisa and Mnangagwa spoke the same language, but differed on the technicalities of the agenda.
Meanwhile, some analysts believe while Chamisa and Mnangagwa would in as much want to dialogue the country out of crisis, there could be forces from both sides especially in the ruling ZANU-PF party who could be pulling to different directions, as seen by how most high profile ruling party members have been rubbishing Chamisa’s calls for dialogue.
When talks of a government of national unity came into the fray as the general populace try to speculate on the calls for dialogue and its probable outcomes, both parties denied the establishment of such a scenario. This even created more confusion among the populace, as
And if there were to be papers on the negotiation table to be signed by both Chamisa and Mnangagwa, what would be the contents of such papers?
Renowned political analyst Elder Mabhunu says it is clear that some big guns in the ruling party are against striking any working relationship between Chamisa and Mnangagwa.
“Though both Chamisa and Mnangagwa have not divulge what type of working together they would like to come out of their dialogue, a form of technical unity can not be ruled out.
“The two may not have said it publicly, and could have dispelled any room for any form of unity, but looking closely there is no dialogue without a pact, especially among the feuding parties,” he says.
He adds that while the dialogue outcome could not be a government of national unity per se, one way or the other, the feuding parties need to come out of the deliberations with a workable pact.
However, Mabhunu says it could be the fear of a pact that is a major undoing of the dialogue, and most of the cartels especially those who were instrumental in Mnangagwa’s ascendency wouldn’t want a pact, as that would threaten their corrupt practices.
“For as long as the cartels feel their cash sucking tube is threatened, or is likely to be disturbed, they would fight tooth and nail to prevent that from happening,” adds Mabhunu.
