Today I want to unpack the proposal by the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) that was presented to both Nelson Chamisa and ED Mnangagwa on 8 October 2019.
The proposal is important as it is the first tangiable proposal for Zimbabwe to move forward.
Who is ZHOCD
They are made up of the main churches in Zimbabwe and have been working in the space
They met Nelson Chamisa and ED Mnangagwa on the 8th of October 2019 and met ED Mnangagwa. They will be expecting responses from both leaders.
Basis of the Proposal
– There is an unsustainable political, social and economic crisis in Zimbabwe
– The Crisis can not be solved by one person
– The 2 political parties are failing to move out of the election mode
– Election periods have been characterized by violence
– It is the people that will continue to suffer
Objectives of the Proposal
– Create a non competitive environment
– Heal Past wounds
– Recover the economy
– Build a new culture of cooperation
How it will work
The church seeks to create an environment for genuine Dialogue and reforms
– Establish an emergency recovery mechanism for the vulnerable
– Rebuild trust and confidence
– Develop a shared national agenda
– establish a national and shared economic vision
– 7 year Suspension elections
This will all begin with a National referendum to determine the transitional arrangement.
This referendum will be led by a consultative process for the form of transitional arrangement to put in place.
PROS
I like it because it is simple
If implemented t will detoxify Zimbabwean politics
CONS
There is no legal framework for it
It will require both ZANU-PF and MDC to be out of politics
It will require ED Mnantagwa to step down
It does not consider the role of the Zimbabwe Military
Conclusion
It will be very interesting to see how both ED Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa will respond.
This is an admission by key players that POLAD has failed.
