The National Patriotic Front (NPF) has implored the international community to facilitate dialogue in Zimbabwe instead of interested parties leading the engagement.
The opposition party which has links to former President Robert Mugabe snubbed a Wednesday meeting convened by President Emmerson Mnangagwa involving leaders of political parties.
MDC president Nelson Chamisa who lost the bid for the presidency to the incumbent by a small margin also announced that he will not be honouring the invitation.
NPF national spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire said the dialogue aimed at restoring constitutionalism in the country cannot be convened by President Mnangagwa whom he accused of using the security forces to brutalise citizens.
“In light of our situation, dialogue aimed at extricating our country from the current mess should be convened, facilitated and guaranteed by an international body given powers to superintend over the implementation of any agreements which will emerge from therein,” he said.
Mawarire said crises in the country have left people wallowing in poverty and collapse of the service sector.
“Zimbabwe is at a crossroads and there is a need for dialogue amongst its citizens. We are facing political, economic, social and constitutional problems emanating from rampant corruption spearheaded by a rogue and illegitimate regime presiding over the state and government,” said Mawarire.
Chamisa took to Twitter to condemn the meeting, saying there was a need for a neutral convener to lead the discussion.
“We’ve a political crisis arising out of a disputed and rigged Presidential election result in Zimbabwe. The Presidency is disputed.
“We need genuine dialogue under a credible Convener and mediator to solve this crisis. Stop citizens’ abuses, beatings, and arrests (sic),” tweeted Chamisa.
Mawarire added that the situation has been worsened by the brute force used by the security to quell the protests that began on January 14.
“The crises are manifesting in dilapidation of infrastructure, insecurity of people, free fall of the economy and spontaneous demonstrations by an impoverished by a citizenry yearning out of the economic arroyo we are buried in,” said Mawarire.
Mawarire decried the arrest of two of the party’s Deputy National Commissar Jim Kunaka and Mash Central chairperson Dickson Mafios and other party officials who fled the country fearing for their safety.
Mawarire added: “As a party, we are obligated to participating in genuine processes that will restore legitimacy to our government, constitutionalism to our democracy and happiness to our citizenry. It is our duty, in lieu of our posterity, to safeguard the very social and economic fabric that makes us and defines our nationhood.”
However, some opposition political leaders are set to attend the meeting which will be held at State House in Harare.
