VICE PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi Thursday said government was keen on having a mediator to help resolve a crippling political and economic impasse in Zimbabwe.
He was speaking to journalists after a two-hour long meeting with traditional chiefs from Masvingo at a city hotel.
Mohadi said chiefs, through traditional courts, have for long been resolving conflicts flawlessly within their communities adding that his meeting with them was a learning exercise for government on how peace could be sustained in a country.
“This is my seventh meeting with traditional leaders towards having a cultural appreciation towards peace building.
“The chiefs told me a number of issues which are threatening peace in the country, chief among them, the economic conflict.
“One way the chiefs told me how we can solve conflict was through mediation and we have noted down everything they said and we are going to include it in the report after the consultations,” said the VP.
Zimbabwe faces its worst economic and political crisis since the hyper-inflationary period and conflict of 2008.
The state has been accused of visiting brutalities on its own people, something seen inimical to the country’s attempts to clean its battered international image and economic recovery prospects.
There have been growing calls for dialogue among Zimbabwe’s major political parties, but this has been held back by conditions being demanded by politicians.
Meanwhile, VP Mohadi said consultations with the traditional leaders was also a platform for government to strengthen the institution of traditional leaders to allow them to effectively carry out their roles as enshrined in the Constitution.
“The chiefs have candidly presented to me their welfare issues that government needs to attend to which constrain them in carrying out their roles in the areas of their jurisdiction,” he said.
