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<\/p>\nFrustrated church leaders yesterday rebuked President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa for dithering around the country\u2019s much-talked about national dialogue aimed at resolving Zimbabwe\u2019s long-running political and economic crisis.<\/p>\n
The distinguished members of the clergy who gathered in Harare for a high profile meeting on the planned national talks said this was the more surprising as both men had played leading roles in discussions which led to the formation of the nation-saving government of national unity (GNU) in 2009.<\/p>\n
Then president Robert Mugabe (ousted) and the late Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to bury their deep political differences before signing their historic global political agreement (GPA) \u2014 following the hotly-disputed 2008 presidential<\/p>\n
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election which the nonagenarian lost hands down to his then nemesis, before embarking on a murderous campaign against MDC supporters ahead of a sham run-off.<\/p>\n
The GPA led to the formation of the short-lived, but stability-inducing GNU which ended controversially in July 2013, and to the detriment of the country.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, the gathered church leaders also cited the 1987 Unity Accord between Zanu PF and PF Zapu as another example of how Mnangagwa and Chamisa should bury the hatchet in the interest of the country and all Zimbabweans.<\/p>\n
Mnangagwa, who had been billed to attend the breakfast gathering sent his emissaries there, while Chamisa \u2014 who snubbed Wednesday\u2019s talks-about-talks meeting with the Zanu PF leader \u2014 was in attendance.<\/p>\n
Cleric Simba Mutandwa said both Mnangagwa and Chamisa needed to choose peace over hostilities, despite their serious differences.<\/p>\n
\u201cThough not perfect, among Zimbabweans, we have in the past produced recognisable peace, unity, justice and prosperity dividends.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Lancaster House negotiations that gave us independence, the talks during the Gukurahundi gave us the Unity Accord in 1987, the dialogue led by churches gave us the national vision document, the \u2018Zimbabwe We Want\u2019 in 2006.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dialogue after the elections gave us the Government of National Unity in 2009 and the broad national unity among Zimbabweans culminated in the birth of a home-grown Constitution of 2013,\u201d Mutandwa said.<\/p>\n
Renowned bishop and founder of Zaoga Ministries, Ezekiel Guti, also implored Mnangagwa and Chamisa to \u201clet go certain interests\u201d to find common ground for talks, which he said were important in rebuilding the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cI pray that by grace \u2026 God enters your hearts so that we forgive each other and move together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople must come together, humble themselves and repent from that culture that they must have imported from other places,\u201d Zion Christian Church (ZCC) leader Nehemiah Mutendi \u2014 a key ally of Mnangagwa \u2014 chipped in, while also giving as an example how the late Father Zimbabwe, Joshua Nkomo, and Mugabe had subordinated their anger to talk to each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also have people like Tsvangirai … he did not call it humiliation to meet his opposition for the sake of peace,\u201d he added, referring to the GPA and the subsequent consummation of the GNU.<\/p>\n
However, Mutendi shot down calls by Chamisa to have an impartial foreign mediator for the eagerly-awaited talks between the youthful opposition leader and Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t ask for a neighbour to show you where to put the head on your bed \u2026 they themselves have challenges they need to solve in their own countries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While Chamisa himself admitted that dialogue was necessary, he took exception to Mnangagwa \u201clumping\u201d him together with \u201csmall\u201d opposition parties \u2014 when the mooted talks \u201cshould be between the two of us\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe as politicians are the source of the agony of our land \u2026 and it should not be difficult for me to meet with Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is president of his organisation and I am president of my organisation and our dispute hasn\u2019t been resolved.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, until that issue is resolved, there can never be a meaningful dialogue and I would not come and lie here to the bishops and to God,\u201d Chamisa told the gathering.<\/p>\n
He also asked the churches to help in the mediation between him and Mnangagwa, but expressed his disappointment with the Zanu PF leader\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n
This was after Mnangagwa sent Zanu PF national chairperson and Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who read his speech on his behalf.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us \u2026 continue working together towards uniting Zimbabwe, for peace, love, harmony and prosperity to prevail in our nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis platform enables us to brief each other on pertinent issues relating to national development issues and to nurture a common understanding of where we ought to go as a country and the steps we must take to get there.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a listening president, I stand to hear your viewpoint in an honest and very candid manner. I\u2019m sure that church leaders and other stakeholders will equally appreciate government\u2019s perspectives on various issues and developments in our country,\u201d Mnangagwa said.<\/p>\n
Yesterday\u2019s meeting was part of efforts by the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) to accelerate talks towards national dialogue aimed at resolving the country\u2019s deepening political and economic crises.<\/p>\n
The NPRC has already invited the opposition, Zanu PF, the church and other key stakeholders to submit their proposals which will guide the much-awaited dialogue.<\/p>\n
Last month, Zimbabwe was thrown into a ginormous crisis when angry protesters flooded the streets of Harare, Bulawayo and several other towns across the country, demonstrating against sharp fuel price hikes.<\/p>\n
Property worth millions of dollars was also destroyed and looted in the mayhem which ensued, after thousands of workers heeded the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions\u2019 three-day strike call.<\/p>\n
At the same time, security forces unleashed a brutal crackdown against the protesters, the opposition and civil society leaders \u2014 in a move which received wide condemnation in the country and around the world.<\/p>\n
At least 20 people are now said to have died, while nearly 100 others have been treated for serious gunshot wounds, according to rights groups and medical doctors.<\/p>\n
Rights groups also continue to report human rights abuses by security forces \u2014 including galling allegations that soldiers had raped women and girls during their much-condemned crackdown against innocent civilians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Frustrated church leaders yesterday rebuked President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa for dithering around the country\u2019s much-talked about national dialogue aimed at resolving Zimbabwe\u2019s long-running political and economic crisis. The distinguished members of the clergy who gathered in Harare for a high profile meeting on the planned national talks said this was the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,35,10],"tags":[113,31,120],"class_list":{"0":"post-3396","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-parties","11":"tag-chamisa","12":"tag-mnangagwa","13":"tag-parties"},"yoast_head":"\n