CSCJF calls for President Ramaphosa to mediate Ed, Chamisa dialogue
By Admire Machiwenyika – Civic Society and Churches Joint Forum (CSCJF) have called for recently re-elected South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to mediate the dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC Alliance leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa, so that they can finally meet to address perennial challenges affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.
Speaking on the side-lines of an event organised by women pressure group Zimbabwe Women Intercessors of Peace and Development Network Trust (ZWIPDNET), CSCJF Chairman Reverend Anglistone Sibanda called for the two main political parties to be mediated by an independent mediate who command respect from both parties.
“Right now there are two platforms of dialogue, the first led by Zimbabwe Council Churches (ZCC), that is seem to be favouring Chamisa and the second one led by President Mnangagwa and other political parties of which the MDC Alliance is boycotting stating that the president is calling us on his own terms”.
“We are now calling a third layer of dialogue that is broad based, probably that could be facilitated by an independent facilitator possibly from SADC, in the form of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as he would be respected by both parties, so that they can finally meet”.
“We are now appealing to SADC to facilitate the dialogue and that dialogue must include not only political parties, the churches and the civic society must also be represented to tackle pressing issues affecting ordinary Zimbabweans,” explained Rev Sibanda.
The host of the event ZWIPDNET founder Reverend Regina Katsande also reiterated that there was urgent need to call for a dialogue between the two main political parties Zanu PF and MDC Alliance to arrest socio – economic hardships affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.
“We want to meet both President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa so that they can dialogue and address health crisis, corruption, unemployment and economic hardships affecting mainly women in churches and marginalised societies,” explained Rev Sibanda.
ZWIPDNET went on to donate groceries to the elderly women from various churches gathered at the Salvation Army Church in Mabvuku.
