News / National
Chief Ndiweni steals show at MDC congress
26 May 2019 at 09:00hrs | Views
CHIEF Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni stole the limelight at the ongoing MDC congress when he launched an attack against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government, saying it had failed.
The Ntabazinduna traditional leader, a son of the late Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, said although he remained apolitical, he had a duty to speak out against government's failure to deliver.
He urged Mnangagwa to humble himself and ensure genuine dialogue between MDC and Zanu-PF.
"What would you say if George Foreman said we don't need a referee in the boxing ring [because] I can box and be the referee?" he said.
"Would you believe that? Would you go and watch that boxing match because one of the boxers is saying I am also a referee?
"That is Zimbabwe in 2019."
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has refused to take part in the ongoing dialogue between last year's presidential candidates saying the talks need a neutral mediator.
"For us to go forward ladies and gentlemen we need a third person in the room, someone who is impartial, has the well-being of the nation at heart, someone who can judge fairly," Chief Ndiweni said.
"It is only then that we can have a proper dialogue, a dialogue without those prerequisites is nonsense."
He called for a return to democracy saying the country was suffering because leaders had abandoned the values of the liberation struggle.
"Our issue in Zimbabwe is very simple, we have a failure in democracy," he said.
"When democracy fails everything else fails. Even if you are trying to fix the local clinic, you will not achieve that because democracy has failed.
"Even if you go to the law enforcement agents, the police they will treat you wrongly because democracy has failed.
"Even if you go to the magistrates and the High Court, you will not receive justice because democracy has failed.
"Democracy is the main thing we should be looking at and I know your team here will do that and I know they are focusing on that."
The chief had earlier tweeted that he attended Zanu-PF's conference held in Umzingwane last year and that attending the MDC congress did not make him partisan.
The Ntabazinduna traditional leader, a son of the late Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, said although he remained apolitical, he had a duty to speak out against government's failure to deliver.
He urged Mnangagwa to humble himself and ensure genuine dialogue between MDC and Zanu-PF.
"What would you say if George Foreman said we don't need a referee in the boxing ring [because] I can box and be the referee?" he said.
"Would you believe that? Would you go and watch that boxing match because one of the boxers is saying I am also a referee?
"That is Zimbabwe in 2019."
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has refused to take part in the ongoing dialogue between last year's presidential candidates saying the talks need a neutral mediator.
"For us to go forward ladies and gentlemen we need a third person in the room, someone who is impartial, has the well-being of the nation at heart, someone who can judge fairly," Chief Ndiweni said.
"It is only then that we can have a proper dialogue, a dialogue without those prerequisites is nonsense."
He called for a return to democracy saying the country was suffering because leaders had abandoned the values of the liberation struggle.
"Our issue in Zimbabwe is very simple, we have a failure in democracy," he said.
"When democracy fails everything else fails. Even if you are trying to fix the local clinic, you will not achieve that because democracy has failed.
"Even if you go to the law enforcement agents, the police they will treat you wrongly because democracy has failed.
"Even if you go to the magistrates and the High Court, you will not receive justice because democracy has failed.
"Democracy is the main thing we should be looking at and I know your team here will do that and I know they are focusing on that."
The chief had earlier tweeted that he attended Zanu-PF's conference held in Umzingwane last year and that attending the MDC congress did not make him partisan.
Source - the standard
