GNU talk quashed

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe will not have a Government of National Unity (GNU) and political parties should ready themselves for harmonised elections slated for next year, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services permanent secretary, Mr George Charamba has said.

This comes as out of sorts opposition political parties and their proponents have been advocating a GNU since the resignation of President Mugabe last week.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was subsequently sworn-in as Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces last Friday.

Mr Charamba on Thursday said elections — which should be held by August 21, 2018 — would proceed as constitutionally scheduled.

“There has been a lot of speculation on whether or not there will be a Government of National Unity,” he said.

“If you look at the schedule for elections, we are about plus or minus six months before they are held and certainly it would not make sense to talk about GNU for those remaining months. Parties must ready themselves for elections, which will take place as per our schedule.”

Mr Charamba said the elections would “determine the aftermath”.

“The President is aware of expressions of readiness to work with him and his party in the context of Government, but there is this overbearing time factor which forbids any such considerations,” he said.

“So we will go for elections.”

In his inauguration speech, President Mnangagwa stated that elections would go ahead as scheduled adding that they should be held peacefully.

Mr Charamba also clarified the misunderstanding in some quarters surrounding President Mnangagwa’s assumption of office in light of the new Constitution.