Correspondent|MDC president Nelson Chamisa has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to have a change of heart and dialogue with him in order to arrest the situation of spiraling prices, shortages of fuel and foreign currency and build investor confidence.
Chamisa made the appeal yesterday while presenting various foodstuffs to the elderly in Harare’s Highfields suburb.
“We have gathered here to show our love to you, and I know this is the worst Christmas ever. I know for many people there is no Christmas. You felt the hardships during Ian Smith’s time, the same during former President Robert Mugabe’s tenure and now you are experiencing the difficulties again in the country under President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” Chamisa said.
Chamisa said this year’s Christmas festive season was one of the worst ever as the ZANU-PF government had run down the economy, leaving a significant part of the population in destitution and unable to buy goodies associated with the period.
“A lot is happening. There is no water, no money in the banks, no electricity, no foodstuffs in shops, no medication in hospitals. You (the elderly) cannot be treated in hospitals and medicine can only be accessed through US dollars. This is the life that we are living.”
MDC president Nelson Chamisa a new government, in which both himself and Mnangagwa will be a part of, would improve to improve the welfare of the elderly and the economy in general and help inspire investor confidence.
“I told Mnangagwa and his team that the situation is now unbearable, come, lets us have a dialogue to move this nation forward and resolve these problems, but they are refusing. That’s why life is so difficult because they don’t know how these things operate,” he said.
President Mnangagwa, while addressing the ZANU-PF annual people’s conference in Esigodini last week, ruled out talks with Chaamisa, as did Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
VP Chiwenga said that they wanted to engage with Chamisa soon after the Constiutional Court ruling but his immaturity set him off at a tangent as he went with the “hayivhiyiwe/kudira jecha” motive.
Chamisa said yesterday: “I have said to them; don’t you see the suffering that is upon our people? Aren’t you hearing their cries? The situation is like this because they don’t see things like we do.”
Chamisa said the government was also neglecting the country’s senior citizens who no longer have any safety nets for them.
He suggested that a new government, which he was going to be a part of, would improve the welfare of the elderly and the economy.