News / National
Time Mnangagwa steps up and dialogue with opposition
23 Jan 2019 at 06:28hrs | Views
THE current situation in the country demands that major political principals come together and join hands and help steer the country back to normalcy.
While President Emmerson Mnangagwa has already made overtures to work with the opposition, there is need to come up with a win-win deal that would help move the country out of its current political and economic mess.
While the deaths, thuggery and massive theft that characterised the last stayaway are regrettable, there are no guarantees that such things will not happen again in future, unless all stakeholders come to the negotiating table.
Although our national politics is based on the winner-takes-all approach, this does not work always as it may create extremism, characterised by the belief that the winner can go it alone. There is need to note that while Mnangagwa officially won the elections, his nemesis, Nelson Chamisa, also commanded an almost similar number of votes. This makes extremism a fallacy. It points to the fact that the two leaders need to come to the negotiating table to discuss the situation in the country and map the way forward.
It is only in primitive politics where opponents are classified as enemies. In progressive societies, they make significant contributions to the development of their country. In our case, whether one belongs to Zanu-PF or the MDC or any other party, we are all Zimbabweans first and foremost.
Given the rate at which the economy and the politics are moving apart, Mnangagwa and Chamisa cannot avoid each other forever. For the sake of progress, they have to face each other and consider the suffering of the citizens. Only leaders that are driven by ulterior motives and selfish ambition would rejoice in seeing the failure of another, of which it is the majority of the citizens who bear the brunt.
While President Emmerson Mnangagwa has already made overtures to work with the opposition, there is need to come up with a win-win deal that would help move the country out of its current political and economic mess.
While the deaths, thuggery and massive theft that characterised the last stayaway are regrettable, there are no guarantees that such things will not happen again in future, unless all stakeholders come to the negotiating table.
Although our national politics is based on the winner-takes-all approach, this does not work always as it may create extremism, characterised by the belief that the winner can go it alone. There is need to note that while Mnangagwa officially won the elections, his nemesis, Nelson Chamisa, also commanded an almost similar number of votes. This makes extremism a fallacy. It points to the fact that the two leaders need to come to the negotiating table to discuss the situation in the country and map the way forward.
It is only in primitive politics where opponents are classified as enemies. In progressive societies, they make significant contributions to the development of their country. In our case, whether one belongs to Zanu-PF or the MDC or any other party, we are all Zimbabweans first and foremost.
Given the rate at which the economy and the politics are moving apart, Mnangagwa and Chamisa cannot avoid each other forever. For the sake of progress, they have to face each other and consider the suffering of the citizens. Only leaders that are driven by ulterior motives and selfish ambition would rejoice in seeing the failure of another, of which it is the majority of the citizens who bear the brunt.
Source - newsday
