SIMBA RUSHWAYA
President Emmerson Mnangagwa “is not in a hurry” to engage MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa over the economic crisis gripping the country and the opposition leader’s possible involvement in the governance of the country, presidential spokesperson George Charamba has said.
Speaking in an interview with Business Times this week, Charamba who is also the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet in charge of Presidential communications revealed that Chamisa (40) had so far sent various emissaries to Mnangagwa to facilitate dialogue between the two top leaders.
“For a fact Chamisa has been sending envoys, diplomats… he wants eminent persons to engage us. Church leaders including Shingi Munyeza (senior pastor at Faith Ministries) have been coming to us with the same message.
“Accompanying the request is that he wants to manage his constituency which includes largely the youth that he had whipped into victory frenzy. We understand the pressure he has at the moment because he is moving from bellicose to desperation,” Charamba said.
The presidential spokesman maintained that they were going ahead with their plans to establish the office of the opposition leader in line with Commonwealth practice.
He said: “This office will be part of the state not government. Chamisa now appreciates the reason for creating this institution, but at the moment he wants to ride on the present economic turbulence to bring the president to the negotiating table. It’s not a favour from him (Chamisa), but his duty as a citizen.
“We all retreat to the market as citizens after elections and we should get away from blackmail. In a way Chamisa is walking the same path as his predecessor the late Morgan Tsvangirai. Former President Robert Mugabe had wanted Tsvangirai to be in parliament. Mugabe wanted to offer one of the MDC-T MP’s an ambassadorial role and in his place Tsvangirai would sit in parliament. This is the same goodwill President Mnangagwa had extended to Chamisa.”
Mnangagwa, Charamba said, was at the moment seized with building institutions that will address issues affecting the country and its people. “We are busy building institutions that will create an enabling environment for the people and we will not tolerate things that
threaten the stability of the country, so we will not allow Chamisa to disturb our programmes. There is a cut off to which he could do. Short of a gun we will not be moved. Beyond the words, what can they do?” asked the 57-year old civil servant.
According to government plans, the Office of the Opposition Leader will be involved in the running of the State and not in government.The opposition leader will be provided with perks equivalent of a cabinet minister where he will be provided with security, a house and
a chance to participate in State issues.
In the State hierarchy, the Office of the Opposition Leader comes after the Chief Justice, Senatorial and House of Assembly speakers and the Presidency.
Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda told Business Times “we can’t comment on their agenda”.
However a Zanu PF insider told the Business Times that Chamisa had stretched President Mnangagwa’s patience with regards to negotiations on the way forward.
“ED is a bit irritated by the level of immaturity by Chamisa. He is actually surprised that the young man is so unreasonable as to think his legitimacy hinges on Chamisa. He has taken his theatrics too far,” said the source.
Zimbabwe wants to adopt the British style of the Leader of Opposition who leads the official opposition in the United Kingdom. The Leader of the Opposition by convention leads the largest party not within the government: where one party wins outright this is the party
leader of the second largest political party in the House of Commons.
The current Leader of the Opposition is Jeremy Corbyn leader of the Labour Party, who was elected to the leadership of the Labour Party on September 12 2015.
The Leader of the Opposition is normally viewed as an alternative Prime Minister, and is appointed to the Privy Council. They lead an official shadow cabinet which scrutinises the actions of the cabinet led by the Prime Minister, as well as offer alternative policies. To
date, Margaret Thatcher is the only female Leader of the Opposition to become Prime Minister.
The Leader of the Opposition is entitled to a salary in addition to their salary as a member of parliament. In 2010, this additional entitlement was available up to £73 617.
In South Africa, the Leader of the Opposition is a title held by the leader of the largest party, not forming part of the government, in the most important house of Parliament.
He or she acts as the public face of the opposition, leading the official opposition shadow cabinet and the challenge to the government on the floor of Parliament. They thus act as a chief critic of the government and ultimately attempt to portray the opposition as a
feasible alternate government.
The current Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly in South Africa is Mmusi Maimane of the Democratic Alliance. He is also the national party leader.
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