The brutal suppression of the protests has led to comparisons with the dark days of Mnangagwa\u2019s predecessor Robert Mugabe, who was removed from office in a coup in November 2017. With inflation at a 10-year high of 42,09%, a chronic cash shortage and regular increases in the prices of goods and services biting, while salaries have stagnated, Zimbabweans have lost patience with Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n
The President defended the army\u2019s actions, which witnesses say included night-time raids on homes of and arbitrary assaults of alleged protesters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been accused of using disproportionate force, but these protesters were burning down police stations and various infrastructure, including toll-gates along our highways,\u201d he told a group of journalists at State House on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not sure how we were supposed to respond to that. Western countries, in particular, have raised concerns. Of course, we regret the loss of life, but we needed to protect
\nproperty as well as other citizens not involved in the protests. We have told the Western countries that they cannot turn around and raise concerns when they are the ones sponsoring the violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the first time, the Zanu PF leader responded directly to repeated calls by Chamisa for dialogue to resolve Zimbabwe\u2019s political logjam in the aftermath of last year\u2019s presidential election narrowly won by Mnangagwa, but challenged by the opposition.<\/p>\n
\n
Chamisa approached the Constitutional Court in a bid to overturn the electoral outcome, but the petition was dismissed for lack of evidence by the apex court. But the opposition leader has maintained he won the election and wants Mnangagwa to relinquish power.<\/p>\n
The MDC leader early this week told journalists that Mnangagwa\u2019s legitimacy would be key to dialogue.<\/p>\n
While Chamisa claims he has written officially to Mnangagwa requesting a meeting, the Zanu PF leader said he had not seen any correspondence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have not seen any letter,\u201d he said curtly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hear there are talks going on and this only in the media. I even have had to ask our party officials whether they have been in talks with the MDC behind my back. They are also surprised,\u201d the Zanu PF leader said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have never refused to talk and that is why after I came into office, you have seen me talking to all people from students, industry, the church, political parties and even traditional leaders. We continue to talk for the good of our country and my door is open. I, however, do not understand how he (Chamisa) would want to talk to me when he claims I am illegitimate. It implies that the talks will be illegitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mnangagwa accused the United States of seeking to \u201cinstall a pliable administration in Zimbabwe\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t care about human rights; that is why you find that they support some countries with clear democratic deficits. It\u2019s about US interests and if we were pliable and accept to be used, our country would not be in these problems. The Western media also turn perpetrators of violence and destruction into victims. But they don\u2019t show the destruction of property and direct threat to the stability of our country they caused,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mnangagwa also laughed at reports that there were divisions between him and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. \u201cThe people who talk about these divisions, what example do they give? I have known Chiwenga and his colleagues [in the military] since the struggle years. We are comrades and understand each other better than you all think.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomebody actually told me while I was in Eurasia that I would be barred from returning home and I just laughed that off,\u201d Mnangagwa said with a chuckle. \u2013 News Day<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says he has no basis to hold talks with MDC leader Nelson Chamisa as long as the opposition politician does not recognise him as the country\u2019s legitimate leader. He also said the use of lethal force by the military to crackdown on dissent was justified. Rights groups say at least 12 people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":1348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,35,12],"tags":[87,31,149],"class_list":{"0":"post-3037","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-head-lines","9":"category-homepage-english","10":"category-policy","11":"tag-chasima","12":"tag-mnangagwa","13":"tag-president"},"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n