CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
War veterans have challenged the leader of the opposition MDC Alliance Nelson Chamisa to dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other political players to gain acceptance from the former liberation war combatants.
The Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association secretary general, Victor Matemadanda said Chamisa should follow in the footsteps of his bitter rival Thokozani Khupe who has agreed to participate in the Political Actors Dialogue [Polad].
“We want Chamisa and his leadership to participate in the Polad and to meet the war veterans’ leadership if he wants to see the country progress.
We fought for the liberation of this country and we want our country to be moving forward in terms of political and economic development,” Matemadanda said.
“Chamisa must join other political actors and discuss the problems facing the country like what his counterpart Thokozani Khupe has done.”
Mnangagwa established the Polad in 2018 where leaders of political parties meet to propose solutions to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic challenges.
But, Chamisa has ignored the calls questioning the legitimacy of Mnangagwa despite the Constitutional Court upholding the Zanu PF leader’s victory in the 2018 presidential elections.
The war veterans said Chamisa risked being dumped into political dustbin and remain in the periphery if he continued ignoring calls to join Mnangagwa and other political actors.
Khupe recently assumed the reins as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and has vowed to continue participating in Polad.
Matemadanda said Chamisa’s refusal to participate in Polad “is tantamount to selling out”.
Chamisa argues that he can only participate in the dialogue that has been underwritten by Sadc leaders with a recognised statesman chairing the meeting.
During the course of the year, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa sent a delegation to mediate between Chamisa and Mnangagwa.
But the attempts appear to have failed.
MDC Alliance deputy spokesperson Clifford Hlatshwayo said his party and leader were not going to be meeting Mnangagwa and the war veterans without mediation from Sadc leaders.
“We have stated that we are ready for dialogue with Zanu PF and the war veterans that is to be chaired by an internationally arbitrator not having Mnangagwa chairing the meeting.
The war veterans should understand that we are ready for dialogue which is genuine and legitimate and not the Polad which is a circus to us,” Hlatshwayo said.
