CCC has warned Roman Catholic priest Father Fidelis Mukonori that he risks losing the respect that he commanded over the years if he takes sides in political disputes in Zimbabwe.
Mukonori was quoted by a local daily publication as saying CCC leader Nelson Chamisa should concede defeat in the 23 August presidential election and seek dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared Mnangagwa the winner with 52.6% of the total votes cast while Chamisa garnered 44%. However, Chamisa has rejected the results, calling the election a “gigantic fraud”.
Responding to Mukonori’s call for dialogue, CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the opposition party is open to dialogue but not on the “winner versus loser” conditions outlined by Mukonori.
Below is Mkwananzi’s full response to Mukonori’s cal for dialogue posted on X:
A Response to Father Mukonori’s Call for Dialogue.
Noting the statement from Father Mukonori, it is essential to put things into perspective before responding to his call.
While Father Mukonori, has for years been a respected Father figure of the church in Zimbabwe, his conspicuous role in the events that led to the deposing of President Robert Mugabe through a coup by Mr. Mnangagwa diminished his societal standing and the respect he once enjoyed.
His skewed statements in today’s Herald Newspaper further affirm the questions that Zimbabweans have about the relationship Father Mukonori has with the Mnangagwa regime.
Father Mukonori ought to extricate himself from this partisan position if he is to retain the respect that he commanded over the years.
At the very least, the electoral sham of August 2023 did not pass the test for an election. In other words, the events of the 23rd & 24th of August 2023 cannot be a basis for Father Mukonori to talk about “winners & losers”.
This is the position commonly held by all observer Missions that observed the elections. In short, if ever there would be dialogue in Zimbabwe, it would not take place on the basis of a winner and a loser but on the basis of two of Zimbabwe’s political leaders namely President [Nelson Chamisa and [Emmerson Mnangagwa].
Their dialogue would need to take place outside the purview of the ill-fated & illegal POLAD Framework-a feeding trough for fringe political “leaders” who only care about their stomachs & the benefits extended to them by Mr. Mnangagwa to undermine the leading party in Zimbabwe: the [CCC].
Accordingly, a genuine bilateral framework for dialogue will need to be facilitated between the two political leaders.
In addition, the dialogue must include several other key Stakeholders such as the church, civil society, Business, women, youth, informal traders, etc.
The dialogue must be underwritten by [SADC] from the outset & be confined to only one objective: To establish a Transitional Authority whose sole mandate would be to deal with all issues that hinder a free & fair election in Zimbabwe such as the disbanding of ZEC, political & media reforms etc & the conduction of a fresh, free & fair election within the shortest practicable time to save Zimbabwe & indeed the region which may suffer the most from the spillover effects of Zimbabwe’s incessant electoral disputes.
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