OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he would not be bulldozed into “a meaningless dialogue” with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, vowing that any talks with the Zanu PF leader to resolve the current political stand-off would only start after government has stopped the arbitrary arrests and persecution of his party members.
But Mnangagwa, addressing foreign diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe at State House yesterday, took a dig at the youthful opposition leader, accusing him of being “immature” and playing to the gallery by spurning his recent offer to kick-start the negotiations.
Speaking during a public lecture in Harare to celebrate the life of the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Chamisa said he would also only agree to dialogue with Mnangagwa after identification of a neutral arbiter and venue.
Chamisa told the public lecture that his party was prepared to use its political muscle through demonstrations, where all its supporters countrywide would descend on Harare and demand dialogue to discuss Mnangagwa’s legitimacy and genuine electoral and political reforms.
“The dates of the demonstration will come, but we want this country to be peaceful and prosperous. But that has to be done on account of dialogue and we have said we need dialogue on these issues,” he said.
“If Mnangagwa is not willing to dialogue, we will have to invite him to dialogue through political pressure. In terms of the Constitution, we have a democratic right to demonstrate. We will have to bring everyone to Harare and this is the mother of all demonstrations. This country must be liberated.
“We continue on the same path led by Tsvangirai. I have refused to have my victory stolen by Mnangagwa. We are not going to stop, we are going after him until he lets go of what he stole. He has to return what is ours.”
But Mnangagwa, who last week held an indaba with a majority of last year’s presidential aspirants minus Chamisa, reiterated his call for dialogue among political players, adding that those refusing to co-operate were “playing with the people’s lives”.
