Prominent cleric and advisor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Shingi Munyeza has called for an all-inclusive national dialogue that will address the economic crisis in the country.
In January, President Mnangagwa appointed a 26-member Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) to advise and assist him in formulating key economic policies and strategies that advance his Vision 2030.
Speaking at the national citizens’ convention in Harare, Wednesday, Munyeza said regional and international communities had lost confidence in the Southern African country.
“Let us agree with national unity when we start talking about what needs to be done. When we are united with a common vision, values, and diversity, dialogue that must happen be inclusively genuine and unconditional,” said Munyeza.
“We need a developmental economy, a social developmental economy where everybody has equal opportunities with no disadvantages.”
The prominent businessman also noted that the country could not recover from its economic malaise without international support.
“We have a budget deficit that is not sustainable, we import more than we export, we talk about the budget deficit and we are actually in a trade deficit right now,” said Munyeza.
“There is no nation that has recovered from where we are coming from without International support but confidence become key as we are at war, a war of reforms.
“We need to cease fire and all engage, come to the dialogue which must be representable, participatory, honest and inclusive. There must be capacity and confidence with those in leadership,” he said.
Munyeza also likened Zimbabwe to a runaway train which was headed for a crash.
“The region and the World has given up on us, the region even those whom we call our friends have thrown in the towel, so basically we are crushing in the wrong direction and what we need is locomotive, we assume that somebody is going to rescue us but we are on our own,” he said.
“At some point, there has to be something that has to be done, let us talk about this train that is moving in the wrong direction and this has to bring healing and national reconciliation which will lay the foundation of genuine and sustainable reforms.”
