Renewed hope as Mbeki meets ED, Chamisa
CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
Former South Africa leader Thabo Mbeki yesterday met President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC president Nelson Chamisa amid hopes talks will begin to rescue the economy from the brink.
Mbeki met President Mnangagwa at State House. He also met Chamisa and his deputy Tendai Biti.
Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu said Mnangagwa briefed Mbeki on the process of dialogue his party has initiated under the Political Actors Dialogue.
“ Former President Thabo Mbeki held discussions with President Mnangagwa wanting to understand what is going in the country and he was briefed and we are happy that we have started dialogue amongst ourselves through Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) without setting any terms and conditions. He now understands what we are doing,” Mpofu said.
MDC spokesperson Fortune Molokele said discussions between MDC and Zanu PF was important and continues to gather momentum as it is being pushed forward by regional leaders wanting to help in ending the political and economic crisis.
“We have written several letters to them [former Presidents]and sending envoys to them in the past year and now are starting to see the results of diplomatic initiatives and it is not a coincidence that they are coming to the country, at time when the call for political talks is intensifying,” Molokele said.
Mbeki was midwife to the inclusive government that ran from 2009 to 2013. This came after Mbeki secured the Global Political Agreement in which Zanu PF and the two MDC formations agreed to work together after the disputed 2008 elections.
