News / National
Tsvangirai hires policy experts ahead of polls
20 Jun 2017 at 06:43hrs | Views
FORMER Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has reportedly hired five local academics to fine-tune his MDC-T policy document, dubbed SMART Project, which he intends to use as his campaign trump card ahead of next year's general elections.
Insiders said the party was refashioning its policies to include a populist approach, as it moves away from the privatisation and human rights agenda, which benchmarked its 2013 ART [Agenda for Real Transformation] and JUICE [Jobs, Upliftment, Investment Capital, Environment] policy documents.
"The party is working hard to finalise its policy document after holding the policy workshop during the last week of May in the capital. Philani Zamchiya, Solomon Mungure, Gideon Chitanga, Pedzisayi Ruhanya and Mfundo Mlilo are the core team working on the SMART policy document in consultation with the party's policy division," an insider said.
Contacted for comment, MDC-T spokesman Obert Gutu would neither confirm nor deny the hiring of academics.
"The policy writing is work in progress and when we are doing things, there are certain issues that should be kept out of the public domain until the time is ripe. You don't expect me to announce that X, Y and Z are in the team," he said.
Gutu added: "At the appropriate time we will announce to Zimbabweans and the electorate when the document is in place and they can comment on it."
MDC-T vice-president and policy chief Nelson Chamisa confirmed the new policy document would be comprehensive and bring in line the electorate's aspirations with those of the party.
"SMART will be comprehensive. It will be broken down into sections. The policy would speak to our solutions on the economy, health, education and governance, among other things," he said.
The MDC-T has been consulting its structures and stakeholders countrywide over the past two months with a view to synthesising them into the new policy document set to be officially launched in September this year.
Insiders said the party was refashioning its policies to include a populist approach, as it moves away from the privatisation and human rights agenda, which benchmarked its 2013 ART [Agenda for Real Transformation] and JUICE [Jobs, Upliftment, Investment Capital, Environment] policy documents.
"The party is working hard to finalise its policy document after holding the policy workshop during the last week of May in the capital. Philani Zamchiya, Solomon Mungure, Gideon Chitanga, Pedzisayi Ruhanya and Mfundo Mlilo are the core team working on the SMART policy document in consultation with the party's policy division," an insider said.
Contacted for comment, MDC-T spokesman Obert Gutu would neither confirm nor deny the hiring of academics.
"The policy writing is work in progress and when we are doing things, there are certain issues that should be kept out of the public domain until the time is ripe. You don't expect me to announce that X, Y and Z are in the team," he said.
Gutu added: "At the appropriate time we will announce to Zimbabweans and the electorate when the document is in place and they can comment on it."
MDC-T vice-president and policy chief Nelson Chamisa confirmed the new policy document would be comprehensive and bring in line the electorate's aspirations with those of the party.
"SMART will be comprehensive. It will be broken down into sections. The policy would speak to our solutions on the economy, health, education and governance, among other things," he said.
The MDC-T has been consulting its structures and stakeholders countrywide over the past two months with a view to synthesising them into the new policy document set to be officially launched in September this year.
Source - newsday
