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Mnangagwa should be forced to engage Chamisa, says Jim Kunaka
01 Jan 2019 at 09:58hrs | Views
FORMER Zanu-PF youth leader Jim Kunaka says President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF government should not be allowed to continue ruining the country through economic mismanagement but must be dragged to the negotiating table with the opposition.
The controversial former commander of the now-defunct Zanu-PF aligned Chipangano terror group was speaking in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com weekend.
"They (Zanu-PF) will not agree (to talks) because of pride and selfishness, and also because they claim to have won the general elections," he said.
"But surprisingly, if they were voted overwhelmingly based on their election manifesto and campaign messages, why are they failing to resuscitate the economy for the benefit of ordinary citizens.
"Whether they have agreed or refused to come for dialogue, it is now up to us, the young generation to force it to happen, because if we don't, we're destroying the future of our children."
Kunaka, together with a lot of party bigwigs, were hounded out of the ruling party 2015 for aligning themselves with a faction which was seen as opposed to former President Robert Mugabe's attempts to continue clinging to power.
He has emerged a rabid critic of his erstwhile comrades.
The former Zanu-PF Harare youth leader called on the old guard within the country's ruling elite to relinquish jobs they have occupied since 1980 so as to allow young people with fresh ideas to take the country forward.
"They fought and liberated this country from the British, but this economic war is now beyond their level of thinking," Kunaka said.
"It's time for you to rest and hand over the baton stick to the young generation so that they can take the country forward and out of this economic mess."
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has adamantly refused any opposition talks to remedy the country's dire situation insisting Zanu-PF was given a mandate to serve for the next five years by the electorate.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who claims to have been robbed of victory in the July 30 presidential election, has since enlisted regional support in his bid to force a broad based approach to the country's deepening crisis.
The controversial former commander of the now-defunct Zanu-PF aligned Chipangano terror group was speaking in an interview with NewZimbabwe.com weekend.
"They (Zanu-PF) will not agree (to talks) because of pride and selfishness, and also because they claim to have won the general elections," he said.
"But surprisingly, if they were voted overwhelmingly based on their election manifesto and campaign messages, why are they failing to resuscitate the economy for the benefit of ordinary citizens.
"Whether they have agreed or refused to come for dialogue, it is now up to us, the young generation to force it to happen, because if we don't, we're destroying the future of our children."
Kunaka, together with a lot of party bigwigs, were hounded out of the ruling party 2015 for aligning themselves with a faction which was seen as opposed to former President Robert Mugabe's attempts to continue clinging to power.
He has emerged a rabid critic of his erstwhile comrades.
The former Zanu-PF Harare youth leader called on the old guard within the country's ruling elite to relinquish jobs they have occupied since 1980 so as to allow young people with fresh ideas to take the country forward.
"They fought and liberated this country from the British, but this economic war is now beyond their level of thinking," Kunaka said.
"It's time for you to rest and hand over the baton stick to the young generation so that they can take the country forward and out of this economic mess."
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has adamantly refused any opposition talks to remedy the country's dire situation insisting Zanu-PF was given a mandate to serve for the next five years by the electorate.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who claims to have been robbed of victory in the July 30 presidential election, has since enlisted regional support in his bid to force a broad based approach to the country's deepening crisis.
Source - newzimbabwe
