ED, Chamisa Talks Won't Happen Before 2023 - OPINION

A media and development analyst, Gibson Nyikadzino, opines that one-on-one dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC leader Nelson Chamisa will not happen before 2023.

Writing for the daily publication NewsDay, Nyikadzino says the only platform on which Mnangagwa will engage Chamisa is the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) which is expected to run until the next election.

Yes, President Mnangagwa and Chamisa are going to dialogue, unfortunately, not now. From what is on the ground, the ruling party is in no hurry for any dialogue outside Polad and Chamisa’s alliance could now be hard-pressed as they might not have anticipated being at this stage without meaningful engagement.

Churches have been calling for talks between the two rivals for some time, and despite Chamisa’s willingness to engage Mnangagwa, the latter has demanded that the former join the other 2018 losing presidential candidates under POLAD.

However, Chamisa has dismissed POLAD as an association of leaders who stands for ZANU PF’s interests and this view was given credence recently by one of the POLAD interlocutors, Brian Mteki’s decision to “re-join” the ruling party.

More: NewsDay