President reaffirms peaceful resolution of challenges 

George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has reaffirmed his commitment to peaceful resolution of the country’s challenges, saying Zimbabweans needed to collectively create conditions that promote stability.

The President urged Zimbabweans to refrain from acts of sabotage as the prevailing hardships cannot be solved by engaging in violence.

Speaking after leading a clean-up exercise at Mupandawana Town in Gutu last Friday, President Mnangagwa said it was normal for people to have differences but that should not divide them.

He said burning buses and destroying infrastructure together with other acts of violence would not solve, but rather exacerbate, the nation’s challenges.

‘‘I urge you to unite and have peace. People cannot agree on everything; even at family level differences are common, but we don’t want violence. A country can only develop when it is peaceful and stable,’’ said the President.

“Things are hard, but why should people burn buses, burn shops? Have you ever held a meeting with a bus? We need shops, so where do we buy after we have burnt down the shops?’’

President Mnangagwa said resorting to acts of sabotage would not end the prevailing challenges.

The President’s comments come in the wake of MDC-A supporters having been fingered in the destruction of property and infrastructure in some parts of the country during past demonstrations.

Last year, MDC-A and its allies in civil society instigated violent demonstrations across the country which resulted in massive destruction to property.

Government came to the rescue of the affected businesses by launching an emergency relief loan fund that assisted businesses and shop owners whose outlets were destroyed and looted during the violent protests.

MDC-A leader Mr Nelson Chamisa has repeatedly snubbed an invitation by President Mnangagwa to join other local political parties in dialogue under the Political Actors Dialogue(POLAD) platform.

The MDC-A leader has been insisting on direct talks with President Mnangagwa, a position that has been condemned by analysts as it excludes other political parties.

President Mnangagwa was magnanimous in extending an olive branch for dialogue to Mr Chamisa despite the latter having lost the presidential elections of 2018.

Besides establishing POLAD, President Mnangagwa has also set up the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) and operationalised the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) headed by Retired Justice Selo Masole Nare – all meant to tackle sticking national issues in an inclusive and amicable way.