ZAPU has reiterated its call for a broad-based national dialogue that will culminate in the creation of a National Transitional Governing Authority.
According to the opposition party, the transition mechanism will facilitate free, fair, credible and acceptable elections in the country and beyond.
A statement from the ZAPU presidency said a transitional form of governance could help alleviate the country’s ‘extreme’ socio-economic crisis.
“It has been very clear from the very onset that the current governance system (under the Emmerson Mnangagwa led administration) will lead to the current socio-economic nightmare. This win-at-all-cost attitude with one emerging as the most powerful has these disastrous repercussions whereas a nation there is no national consensus on many issues,” said the party.
ZAPU warned that the country risked isolation if the current administration continued embarking on policies that were destructive particularly to its people.
“We cannot be part of a global community if we have a government that chooses to have its own definitions of socio-economic normalcy just because the political leaders are militarily installed, backed and savagely protected even as they squander national resources,” said the presidency.
“We have said it before that the prevailing socio-economic meltdown cannot be solved by political party affiliations or party memberships. We are astounded that this has fallen on deaf ears particularly of those currently believed to be political gurus in our country hence awarding themselves the prerogative to solve the problem.”
The mother party said it must be clear to all that the economic situation prevailing in the country had outrun political populism just as it has done with the ‘military back up of certain individuals.’
“The solution will have to be based on a national consensus that is all-inclusive. It is only a National Transitional Governing Authority that can convincingly implement the following: the depoliticisation of the military and other national security organs, the electoral reforms, guarantee the rule of law, end state-funded corruption, implement the devolution of power as per the national constitution of 2013, respect the chieftaincy hence end the abuse of traditional chiefs who have been turned into ZanuPF activists, democratise the distribution of information by opening up ZBC`s TV, the only one in the country to everyone and currently used solely by Zanu PF,” ZAPU noted.
ZAPU
The party added that a transitional process could also guarantee the freedom of association and expression that will allow the citizens to express themselves without being threatened.
Besides ZAPU, the MDC under Nelson Chamisa has also called for a transitional mechanism where its leaders could be a respected former judge or a respected former civic society leader and be given a two to three-year period to make sure we have a transitional process with comprehensive reforms.
