CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki will engage Zanu PF and the MDC as well as other fringe political players that make up the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) players as he moves to unlock the political crisis buffeting the economy.
South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Mphakama Mbete told Business Times that his government was ready to facilitate the dialogue.
“We participated in the Polad discussions last week as we support all political players in their effort to mediate in the country and to resolve the political problems and Polad is one such platform,” Mbete said.
Mbete said his government will continue to support the initiative by Mbeki, who was in the country last December where he met President Emmerson Mnangagwa, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa and other leaders that make up Polad.
“We shall continue to support former President Thabo Mbeki initiative with the logistics he needs if he comes back to Zimbabwe to talk to political parties.
His visit last year was a private initiative being handled by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation but we supported it.
We are also waiting to know from our government in Pretoria when he is coming back,” Mbete said. South Africa has given Mbeki the greenlight to oversee dialogue between President Mnangagwa and Chamisa as it moves to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Mbeki was the midwife to the inclusive government that ran from 2009 to 2013 following disputed elections in 2008.
Mnangagwa and Chamisa have been haggling on the modalities of the talks. Mnangagwa wants the talks to be conducted under Polad.
Chamisa’s MDC is opposed to the participation under Polad arguing the parties that constitute the grouping has no political relevance as they have no representative in Parliament.
Last month, Chamisa also travelled to South Africa and met Mbeki. Chamisa said he was ready for dialogue with Mnangagwa to rescue the economy from collapse.
“We reiterate our position that dialogue must lead to a transitional mechanism that stops the country’s slide towards total collapse,” Chamisa said.
“This must be followed by genuine reforms and free elections. Zimbabwe must have a dialogue that is credible and genuinely underwritten by the international community to facilitate a transitional authority that will pave way for reforms and election.”
Chamisa said Mnangagwa had informed Mbeki that he needed to consult his party members to decide whether he can meet the leader of the main opposition party alone for the dialogue.
While the parties haggle over the modalities of dialogue, the economy has taken a battering with rising prices which have eroded the purchasing of the local currency pushing the majority to the brink.
Zimbabwe’s economy is faltering with calculations by independent economists showing that annual inflation could be hovering at around 500%.
Dialogue between the country’s main political parties, according to observers, is expected to end the country’s political impasse which has been blamed for the floundering economy.
Political analyst, Ibbo Mandaza said the MDC and Zanu PF had no option but talk to each other in resolving the political problems in the country.
“The MDC is pushing for a political dialogue with Zanu PF and eventually both parties must come to an agreement for political dialogue to resolve the political, social and economic problems facing the country.
This is why former President is coming to the country trying to mend the differences of the two political parties,” Mandaza said.
