OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has all but dumped foreign-meditated talks with his nemesis, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, preferring a home-grown solution to the current economic and political crises facing the country.
By Richard Muponde /Moses Matenga/Everson Mushava
Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki was in the country in December to nudge Mnangagwa and Chamisa into an inclusive dialogue and had promised to be back in three weeks, but has not returned to date.
In his keynote address at the launch of the Principles of Reliable Inclusive and Credible Elections in Zimbabwe symposium organised by local think-tank, Sapes Trust in Harare yesterday, Chamisa said the country
could not out-source solutions as local leaders had to sit down and find home-grown solutions.
“We are there to solve our own problems. We have the answers to our problems. We can’t have South Africa solving our problems, it has its own problems to take care of,” said Chamisa, who had earlier warmed up to Mbeki mediation efforts.
“Americans can’t have a solution for this country as it has its own domestic problems to solve. We can’t out-source solutions for this country. I have heard people talking of President Mbeki saying this and that. We should solve our own problems.”
He said Zanu PF had misunderstood his call for peaceful co-existence as a weakness.
“That tells you we have a historical attempt to bring a peaceful solution to the problems facing the country. However, they have mistaken our propensity and affinity for peace as a weakness. They think when we call for peace, we don’t have other instruments to put conditions that induce a delivery or birth of a new Zimbabwe,” Chamisa said.
“We do know that on the African continent, citizens have paid dearly in the event of anarchy. In an event that there’s anarchy, we in the alternative have nothing to lose because we don’t have anything. They have buildings, farms and mines. When there is anarchy in this country, they will be the first customers and will pay dearly. We have seen it in Sudan, Somalia and Angola. However, we don’t want that path for this country, but if they continue ignoring our advice, we will be forced to look that way. They might try everything, arrests or what, we don’t care.”
But MDC youths yesterday said the time was now ripe to fight Mnangagwa’s government for implementing unpopular policies that were causing untold suffering to the people of Zimbabwe.
Addressing a Press conference in Harare, MDC youth spokesperson Stephen Chuma said the economic decay in the country had reached a crescendo and the youths were mobilising Zimbabweans to act against Mnangagwa.
He said Zimbabwe was now an epicentre of a regional crisis.
“Zimbabwe is in a crisis. The level of the roads and economic decay has reached a new crescendo.
The country has virtually become a jail with every citizen in prison,” Chuma said.
“There is no mealie-meal, no justice, no fertiliser for farmers, no fuel and to make it worse, there is no government in this country. We have criminals and machete warlords who are running the affairs of this our beloved country.”
Last week, the MDC youths staged a surprise demonstration in Harare against the deteriorating economic situation in the country and the opposition party has threatened to take the flash protests to rural areas.
