Chamisa now ready to engage Mnangagwa

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who had threatened to make the country ungovernable if cheated out victory, has indicated that he is ready for talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa despite rejecting as illegitimate the Zanu PF leader's victory in the July 30 elections.

According to NewZimbabwe.com, despite maintaining that Mnangagwa "stole his goats", Chamisa appears to now favour dialogue, provided Mnangagwa makes the first move.

"We have said our doors are open we have even opened the windows now," Chamisa told reporters ahead of a meeting with Bishops from various local denominations which was held in the capital.

Told that Mnangagwa had also said his doors are open, the MDC leader quipped; "He (Mnangagwa) says the doors are open.

"So, if they are open he must walk out of those doors and locate our doors that are also open. We can't go to his doors because they are locked.

"We have looked around; we were waiting for him in Parliament to articulate the agenda that will unlock (logjam) this but he did not."

He added; "Dialogue is a national necessity; our country needs legitimacy.

"We need time-bound comprehensive reforms, peace building, nation building and national healing around human rights, international engagement to rid ourselves of the pariah tag, as well as an emergency economic rescue package."

Chamisa has refused to recognise Mnangagwa's election, saying the ballot outcome was manipulated in his favour by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Mnangagwa has indicated that the government would formalise the office of Leader of the Opposition, in a development widely seen as an attempt to placate the MDC leader.