adminfacilitate dialogue.
This, despite the fact that the parties agreed on and signed an inter-party political agreement, the Global Political Agreement, in which they outlined and proposed solutions for solving the political and attendant socio-economic problems that bedevilled our country over the past 12 years.
Add to that the fact that the leaders of the three main political parties – Zanu-PF, MDC-T and the MDC – meet regularly in Parliament, in the committees, in Cabinet and the Council of Ministers to push the agenda of the inclusive Government.
We, thus, can’t help but wonder what it is the parties still need to talk about under the facilitation of Sadc, more so when a roadmap to the elections likely to be held early next year has been agreed on.
We agree with Zanu-PF’s position that the GPA framework has lost relevance as a platform for dealing with outstanding issues, and that other platforms be established to bring finality to the talks about talks that are now the stuff of comedy.
Our political leaders should realise that the enormity of the challenges to be overcome, especially in the socio-economic sphere, requires their total, undivided attention.
Any issues being brought up outside the purview of the GPA are nothing but retrogressive grandstanding.
What is is there to debate or negotiate that could not be settled over a whole three years?
Prior to the extra-ordinary Summit of Sadc heads of state and government that was held in Sandton, South Africa in June, we were made to believe that GPA principals had given party negotiators up to the end of July to conclude all discussions ahead of the annual August summit.
Then it emerged that the principals had agreed on how to proceed on three key implementation issues namely the status of the RBZ Governor and Attorney General and the issue of provincial governors.
Most importantly the parties found common ground on the issue of the illegal economic sanctions which they concurred must be scrapped with immediate effect.
Frankly speaking, the nation has grown tired of the endless talks as if the leadership does not have a standing agreement that lays out the priority areas for the inclusive Government.
It is our submission that the parties have had their fun over the past three years, flexing muscles and seeing how far they could push each other in a bid to gain the upper hand; it is now time to move from rhetoric to delivery.
We would like to draw the leadership’s attention to President Jacob Zuma’s advice that non-fundamental issues be set aside in favour of the business of fulfilling the objectives of the inclusive Government, namely fostering an environment of political and socio-economic stability.
It is not in dispute that the nation is facing serious challenges in need of collective input and it is high time the leadership realised that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.
In other words the inclusive Government as a collective can achieve more than Zanu-PF, MDC-T and the MDC can achieve acting individually.
To this end we urge the political leadership to collectively call for the lifting of the illegal economic sanctions; lend their weight to the indigenisation and economic empowerment drive and work to remove the artificial investment risk tag foisted on Zimbabwe by Western powers opposed to the land reform programme.
Not many investors will believe that Zimbabwe has moved to stability when all they hear are stories about differences between the parties in Government and calls for Sadc intervention.
The onus is on Zanu-PF, MDC-T and the MDC to ensure that the inclusive Government brings meaningful change to the life of the common man.
It’s time to get the priorities right.
The people are watching, and they will judge and judge severely in the ballot box.
Online Reporter