MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora visited President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House where he tabled his controversial dialogue proposals only to be told that the Zanu PF administration will take its time to weigh the motion by the smaller opposition party.
Mwonzora went to the State House on Thursday morning together with his party’s Secretary-General Paurina Mpariwa.
They made their dialogue presentation before Mnangagwa, who was encircled by Zanu PF Secretary for Finance Patrick Chinamasa and Acting Secretary to the President and Cabinet George Charamba.
Despite being told to wait for the ruling party and its government to determine their calls, Mwonzora’s party described the meeting as a “huge success.”
“President Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by Zanu PF Secretary for Finance Mr Patrick Chinamasa and Acting Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr George Charamba, promised to respond to the MDC-T’s final position as soon as possible after their own internal consultations within the government and their party,” MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube said in a statement.
“The meeting was a huge success and our leaders expressed that the dialogue that Zimbabweans have long been waiting for is slowly becoming a reality.”
The meeting between Mnangagwa and Mwonzora took place immediately after the President had announced the date for the long awaited by-elections to fill the vacant seats in the National Assembly.
Mnangagwa proclaimed that by-elections will be held on the 26th of March and that the nomination courts will accordingly seat on the 26th of January.
The vacant positions came after Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe recalled more than half of the MDC Alliance MPs and councillors accusing them of supporting main opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.
They assumed powers to make the recalls after Zimbabwe’s Supreme Court in 2020 handed the party name (MDC Alliance), Finances, members and assets to the Mwonzora led MDC-T.
It is estimated that the recall of Chamisa’s MPs and death of some legislators left 754 000 people in 26 constituencies with no representation in Parliament.
After gaining the leadership of MDC-T, Mwonzora began to push for a dialogue between all political powers including Zanu PF and Chamisa’s outfit. However, Chamisa has been consistent in rejecting dialogue with all other parties except he and Mnangagwa alone.
Chamisa claims he won the 2018 elections but they were rigged to install Mnangagwa the winner. Consequently the main opposition party vowed not to recognise Mnangagwa as the President of Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, the country will hold by-elections nine months before the harmonized general elections scheduled for 2023. Nehanda Radio
