Exiled former Tourism Minister, Walter Mzembi, has predicted political engagement and inclusive dialogue in Zimbabwe as a result of the “defaulted” ZEC delimitation report.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) conducted a delimitation exercise and produced a report which was gazetted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The delimitation report will be used in the harmonised elections scheduled for July.
Stakeholders including the ruling ZANU PF, the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have said the delimitation process was flawed.
In a Twitter post seen by Pindula News, Mzembi said there will likely be political engagement. Reads the prediction posted on his 59th birthday:
My birthday message to Zimbabweans is what I see coming. Constitutional stalemate which may be predicated by a defaulted ZEC delimitation report if challenged. It will usher us to the next stage of political engagement and inclusive dialogue. This is my analysis nothing to do with wanting to be accommodated. Let’s see how time reveals things not easily seen by many people or that they probably don’t understand.
The opposition MDC led by Senator Douglas Mwonzora has already approached the courts to have the delimitation report nullified.
Mwonzora says the delimitation report violates the constitution. He also demanded that election dates must be announced only after the delimitation exercise has been re-done.
On the other hand, CCC has said an election boycott is out of the question although Zimbabwe needs electoral reforms.
Mzembi predicted inclusive dialogue when Nelson Chamisa who leads the CCC party has since 2018 refused to participate in the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) platform initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chamisa says nothing meaningful will come out of POLAD.