Matibenga, Madhuku Take A Dig At Chamisa

National Constitutional Assembly leader, Professor Lovemore Madhuku and former opposition party official Lucia Matibenga have made a dig at Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) President Nelson Chamisa for not understanding the role of the national dialogue initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Matibenga said that there was no need to discuss elections in the dialogue. Addressing delegates at the launch of the political actors’ dialogue in Harare, she said:

This dialogue process has absolutely nothing to do with the elections. The elections came and went.  The winners were declared. This dialogue is now about another process where we need to be talking about development.

She further argued that contrary to remarks made by critiques of the dialogue who think national resources are being wasted, the dialogue is investing in the people.

Her remarks were reverberated by Madhuku who said that the dialogue had a different mandate from that of Parliament. He said:

First and foremost dialogue does not happen in parliament. Parliament is created for a particular purpose. The constitution is clear about that to make laws, make government accountable. We all see what parliament does every day on television. That is not dialogue.

Dialogue must happen outside parliament.  Once we have agreed on issues parliament must respond to the interest of the people so its nit about you sitting in parliament and opposing what people outside are saying.

To participate in the dialogue, Chamisa who has a second majority in parliament demands the discussion of Mnangagwa’s legitimacy.

More: The Zimbabwe Mail