Opinion / National
Dialogue preparing Zimbabwe for 2023
08 Apr 2019 at 12:52hrs | Views
WHILE there have been some sections of society that have dismissed outright the on-going dialogue meetings between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and us (opposition party leaders) who participated in the 2018 presidential elections, there are some positives already picked from the engagement.
In the past the issue of intolerance among opposing political parties has been dividing us to an extent that brewed senseless violence among once peace-loving Zimbabweans. It was unheard of for a sitting president, and I am talking of former President Robert Mugabe to invite other opposing political party leaders so regularly to try and find common ground on issues affecting the nation.
I have been attending the meetings and I am not there to dislodge the president but to share with him and others ideas of how we can take the country forward.
Yes, there are others who are mocking us and alluding to the fact that we do not have numbers, hence our participation is of no use. But hold on; as an aspiring politician I am learning a lot about governance issues and I have shared with the president.
Whether we have the numbers or not, it is important that our interaction with the president who is also the Zanu PF leader will send a strong message even to his constituency that regardless of party affiliation we are all Zimbabweans. This is the message filtering down to lower constituencies as we sit down to deliberate on national issues.
Interestingly in our recent meetings the president has impressed on the involvement of local and international mediators in our future dialogue. That is very positive but we had to convince him that this was necessary and he said he was ‘a listening president' so he was seriously considering that request for a neutral mediator.
Just recently I was in Chimanini and Chipinge with other opposition political party leaders at the invitation of the president where we had first-hand sight of Cyclone Idai devastation and we are thankful.
That he took effort and resources to take us there so that we can appreciate the impact on ordinary people's lives was gratifying and humbling.
And I was saying to myself, the president is grooming us in a way the eye cannot see and only a fool could fight such a noble initiative. He is opening our eyes to the world of politics and leadership, traits that will be useful in future.
I have come to accept that there can only be one president but this does not mean those like us who aspire to be future presidents cannot continue to dream. We will continue to dream and work hard towards that goal which can take time to come; but eventually it will happen because God has his ways of doing things.
For those with foresight the present political dialogue is not really about today but preparation for 2023 elections. Last year's elections are gone and dusted but there is political life in the near future and five years is just too little for major preparations.
As we dialogue with Mnangagwa we will also ask him to make the playing field level; he has the keys to create such an environment. We will convince him to implement some reforms and I am sure we will get a few processed.
As we approach 2023 this is not the time for confrontation; it does not help to fight Zanu PF because we know it has all the might as the ruling party government. We do not have to underestimate their political and security muscle, not to mention their financial muscle.
As the opposition we have to tread with care, strategise and find common ground with those holding the horses.
It is not cowardice at all or surrendering our souls, but that we have to find a way to penetrate the once closed system and we have a way through the president. I am not speaking on behalf of all the opposition political parties in Zimbabwe; I am speaking on behalf of the Democratic Opposition Party (DOP) and as a leader this is how we feel.
We feel this dialogue is working although the wheels are turning slowly; but the good thing is that they are turning. And this on-going political dialogue is not about ganging up to remove the sitting president; NO. Or is it about trying to have the 2018 elections nullified; NO.
This dialogue is more about the future; preparing the way for 2023 and this election year is not far at all!
In the past the issue of intolerance among opposing political parties has been dividing us to an extent that brewed senseless violence among once peace-loving Zimbabweans. It was unheard of for a sitting president, and I am talking of former President Robert Mugabe to invite other opposing political party leaders so regularly to try and find common ground on issues affecting the nation.
I have been attending the meetings and I am not there to dislodge the president but to share with him and others ideas of how we can take the country forward.
Yes, there are others who are mocking us and alluding to the fact that we do not have numbers, hence our participation is of no use. But hold on; as an aspiring politician I am learning a lot about governance issues and I have shared with the president.
Whether we have the numbers or not, it is important that our interaction with the president who is also the Zanu PF leader will send a strong message even to his constituency that regardless of party affiliation we are all Zimbabweans. This is the message filtering down to lower constituencies as we sit down to deliberate on national issues.
Interestingly in our recent meetings the president has impressed on the involvement of local and international mediators in our future dialogue. That is very positive but we had to convince him that this was necessary and he said he was ‘a listening president' so he was seriously considering that request for a neutral mediator.
Just recently I was in Chimanini and Chipinge with other opposition political party leaders at the invitation of the president where we had first-hand sight of Cyclone Idai devastation and we are thankful.
That he took effort and resources to take us there so that we can appreciate the impact on ordinary people's lives was gratifying and humbling.
I have come to accept that there can only be one president but this does not mean those like us who aspire to be future presidents cannot continue to dream. We will continue to dream and work hard towards that goal which can take time to come; but eventually it will happen because God has his ways of doing things.
For those with foresight the present political dialogue is not really about today but preparation for 2023 elections. Last year's elections are gone and dusted but there is political life in the near future and five years is just too little for major preparations.
As we dialogue with Mnangagwa we will also ask him to make the playing field level; he has the keys to create such an environment. We will convince him to implement some reforms and I am sure we will get a few processed.
As we approach 2023 this is not the time for confrontation; it does not help to fight Zanu PF because we know it has all the might as the ruling party government. We do not have to underestimate their political and security muscle, not to mention their financial muscle.
As the opposition we have to tread with care, strategise and find common ground with those holding the horses.
It is not cowardice at all or surrendering our souls, but that we have to find a way to penetrate the once closed system and we have a way through the president. I am not speaking on behalf of all the opposition political parties in Zimbabwe; I am speaking on behalf of the Democratic Opposition Party (DOP) and as a leader this is how we feel.
We feel this dialogue is working although the wheels are turning slowly; but the good thing is that they are turning. And this on-going political dialogue is not about ganging up to remove the sitting president; NO. Or is it about trying to have the 2018 elections nullified; NO.
This dialogue is more about the future; preparing the way for 2023 and this election year is not far at all!
Source - Daily News
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