'Tsvangirai will try to hijack to convergence 'rescue' meeting'

ZIMBABWEANS from across the political divide, civic society, business and churches are warming up to the proposed National Convergence Platform (NCP), a dialogue of citizens with the aim to rescue Zimbabwe from the obtaining economic turmoil.

The grand meeting is scheduled for the first quarter of this year.

There are fears that this conference will be destroyed by MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirayi's need for attention

One commentator said, "He (Tsvangirai) will try once again to take it over and make it his initiative and before you know it it will be another MDC-T platform to call for removal of Mugabe and Zanu-PF. "It will be a repeat of what happened with NCA, he will isolate other opposition figures as well as those from the ruling party.As long as Tsvangirayi is allowed to take over this process nothing will come out of it.

"It would be like inviting President Mugabe to lead the process because only Robert Mugabe is more polarizing than Tsvangirai."

This comes amid reports that efforts are being made to lure disgruntled Zanu-PF members who feel they were hard done by the party's "undemocratic" tendencies and "cluelessness" to deal with the crisis the country is facing.

The indaba is viewed as a new strategy to deal with Zanu-PF and an admission that the fragmented opposition has failed, a situation which requires a relook at ways to solve Zimbabwe's problems.

Conveners of the indaba have reportedly met with political actors and civic society to prepare for the grand indaba that is expected to usher in a new establishment to bring back prosperity and good life to Zimbabwe.

In separate interviews last week, several political actors said the indaba was a great idea which should not be led by politicians, but by churches and ordinary citizens.

Convener of the indaba, Bishop Sebastian Bakare, said meetings had been held with a number of political parties and groups to prepare for the grand meeting.

"The NCP is a non-partisan platform that seeks to enhance national convergence and the restoration of national unity, cohesion and tolerance to the Zimbabwean society," Bakare said.

"It seeks to mobilise and engage Zimbabweans, at home and in the Diaspora, around the political, economic and social issues that cry out so loud as to constitute what we call today national convergence."

He said since June last year, a series of meetings had been held with concerned citizens from various societal groups, including churches, civic society, political parties, business associations, women's groups, students and the unemployed, with a view to creating a platform for dialogue on how to deal with the myriad of challenges that confront Zimbabwe today.

"What has emerged from the nationwide consultations is consensus that our country is crying out for dialogue and we are, therefore, in discussion with key stakeholders as we plan to hold a National Convention of Concerned Citizens under the theme Unity in Diversity, whose objective is to define a clear national plan of action for dealing with the political and economic crisis that grips Zimbabwe," he said.

"Delegates will be carefully selected in order to ensure the widest representation possible across Zimbabwean society and will be on the basis of a non-partisan, but patriotic outlook.

"We are now in the process consulting with various groups and individuals across the national spectrum in order to set up a
National Steering Committee, which shall be charged with the responsibility of planning for the convention."