National Convergence Platform To Start Diaspora Consultation

The National Convergence Platform (NCP) will start its consultation in the Diaspora following the appointment by the Convener, Bishop  Sebastian, of a secretariat headed by Advocate Gabriel Shumba, a human rights activist based in South Africa.

The aim of the platform is to bring Zimbabweans from all sectors and political parties to input into a national vision that will, in the shortest time, get Zimbabwe out of its current political and social crisis which is manifesting as an economic crisis and threatening to drag the country into failed-statehood.

On the political front opposition parties are questioning the legitimacy of the current government and boycotting participation in electoral processes, which are the basis for modern democratic state organisation.

Instead of engaging the opposition parties to find a solution, the ruling party seems prepared to take this as an opportunity to strengthen its hold the levers of the state while blaming everything on sanctions, which is only exacerbating the situation.

The newest low that the country reached is the enforced disappearance of Itai Dzamara, a well-known activist who has been missing for a month now. This only reinforces Diasporans' perception that Zimbabwe is not a safe place to be if one opposes the policies of the ruling Party.

We have also seen an economic meltdown which has now forced the President Robert Mugabe, the current head of SADC and the AU, and his ministers to spend a lot of time travelling around the world with begging bowls, when Zimbabwe is endowed with so much resources - human, mineral, agricultural and otherwise.

We believe it is a time for serious self-introspection devoid of arrogance, ego or self-interest but driven by patriotism and the desire to uplift our motherland to where it belongs and bring back the happiness that is now so lacking.

This is what has motivated Bishop Bakare to convene the NCP which will now start its process with consultations in the Diaspora, to be consolidated into one Diasporans' Convergence Report at a Diaspora NCP Conference and then into  the National Consultation after a similar process in Zimbabwe, where the National Convergence Conference will be held.

As the Diaspora will be the first to hold their consultation we are being challenged to provide good exemplary leadership on democratic participation, to put aside our political, religious and and any other prejudices and differences and to come together through whatever Zimbabwean associations we belong to and assist the mother country.

Bishop Bakare has already said that participation by political party members in the process will be in their own personal capacities and the same applies to participation by religious or any other groups. Therefore while mobilisation can be done through associations for convenience, the participants will be at the conferences in their own capacities.

Further communications will be provided as the programme is developed and personnel put in place in the various Diasporas,  and any further information or expressions of interest to participate can be made via this e-mail for the time being.