News / National
Mnangagwa consoles Tsvangirai family
15 Feb 2018 at 05:28hrs | Views
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent a message of condolences to the Tsvangirai family following the death of former Prime Minister and opposition MDC-T party leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
Mr Tsvangirai died in South Africa yesterday where he was receiving treatment for colon cancer.
In his condolence message, Mnangagwa said Mr Tsvangirai will be remembered especially for his readiness to stretch and reach out across the political divide for a Government of National Unity after the polarising 2008 elections.
"A Strong trade unionist and opposition leader, the late Tsvangirai will be remembered especially for his readiness to stretch and reach out across the political divide….," said President Mnangagwa.
He said both in and after the Government of National Unity he remained a national figure who obdurately insisted on free, fair, credible and non-violent elections as a way of strengthening democracy and the country's overall re-engagement with the rest of the world.
"Whatever other controversial decisions he and his MDC-T party may have made in the past, we all remember him for his insistence on free, fair and peaceful elections which we must validate in the forthcoming 2018 harmonised elections in tribute to him and to our democracy.
"This we owe him as political leaders of all contesting parties in our country which deserves unfettered peace and stability," President Mnangagwa said.
President Mnangagwa revealed that as part of building political consensus in the country ahead of the harmonised elections, he will be inviting leaders of all political parties for a day long consultative meeting.
"Indeed the ethic of overarching collaboration above fair and peaceful political contestation must be cultivated and entrenched into our national politics for all times," he added.
President Mnangagwa said consultations are underway in government and with the family to determine what else government needs to do to accord the late Mr Tsvangirai a befitting honour.
Mr Tsvangirai died in South Africa yesterday where he was receiving treatment for colon cancer.
In his condolence message, Mnangagwa said Mr Tsvangirai will be remembered especially for his readiness to stretch and reach out across the political divide for a Government of National Unity after the polarising 2008 elections.
"A Strong trade unionist and opposition leader, the late Tsvangirai will be remembered especially for his readiness to stretch and reach out across the political divide….," said President Mnangagwa.
He said both in and after the Government of National Unity he remained a national figure who obdurately insisted on free, fair, credible and non-violent elections as a way of strengthening democracy and the country's overall re-engagement with the rest of the world.
"Whatever other controversial decisions he and his MDC-T party may have made in the past, we all remember him for his insistence on free, fair and peaceful elections which we must validate in the forthcoming 2018 harmonised elections in tribute to him and to our democracy.
"This we owe him as political leaders of all contesting parties in our country which deserves unfettered peace and stability," President Mnangagwa said.
President Mnangagwa revealed that as part of building political consensus in the country ahead of the harmonised elections, he will be inviting leaders of all political parties for a day long consultative meeting.
"Indeed the ethic of overarching collaboration above fair and peaceful political contestation must be cultivated and entrenched into our national politics for all times," he added.
President Mnangagwa said consultations are underway in government and with the family to determine what else government needs to do to accord the late Mr Tsvangirai a befitting honour.
Source - zbc
