Rev Kenneth Mtata, secretary General of the Zimbabwe Council Of Churches says Zimbabwe’s Problems can not be solved through elections because there is lack of trust in the election process.
Rev Mtata was speaking to Trevor Ncube on his show: In Conversation With Trevor.
Call For A National Settlement
Rev Mtata says on the 11th of August, there will be a launch of the five calls. There will be more and more calls for a National settlement. The National settlement says Zimbabweans should come together and find solutions.
Rev Mtata says solutions that are sustainable will need to be discussed around the table.
In 2016, Rev Mtata left Switzerland and his family was very concerned that they had left a stable country and came into such a situation that is existing in Zimbabwe.
Rev Mtata says Zimbabweans will get tired of pursuing narrow personal interests.
Healing
When people have guns, have power and occupy high positions, they are powerful.
The foundation of Zimbabwe is a foundation of mistrust. At Lancaster House, the Patriotic front was supposed to contest the elections together.
However, after Lanchaster, this changed.
How do we establish healing and restoration. This is at the heart of nation building. What is desperately needed in Zimbabwe is to be a nation again.
Healing is not something that can happen accidentally, we need to invest in it.
The abduction, torture and violence are part of the history of the liberation struggle.
What happened at Lancaster was not a healing process, it was a cease fire. Similarly what happened in 1987 and 2007 were not healing processes, but gentleman’s agreements.
Crisis
Zimbabwe is going to reach a crisis like what happened in 2017.
Nation Building
Rev Mtata says the church can play a positive role in nation building. Rev Mtata says his training was not just based on what happens inside the church. He worked in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Rev Mtata says political processes take long because they require consensus.
November 2017
In November 2017, Rev Mtata was part of a group that initiated the process of engaging with the new government of ED Mnangagwa.
Rev Mtata said he had meetings with several people and held a National People’s Convention in November 2017. Rev Mtata said he realized that Many people don’t know what they needed post the Mugabe period.
Most Zimbabweans were more concerned about who they should get rid of.
One of the biggest damages of the last 40 years was at the level of leadership formation. Civil society was designed to impress funders to get funding.
Many of the conversations were focused on the short term and there was little long term thinking.
National Convergence Platform Sabbath Call.
In May 2019, the Sabbath call was made as a result of a long period of period of reflection. There was a certain level of honesty at a conference in Bulawayo. Zimbabweans are trying to solve a problem of mistrust and lack of confidence through elections.
Life Story and Early Days:
Father – Msindazi Mtata from Matabeleland ( An evangelist in the Lutheran Church)
Mother – From Masvingo
Born In – Mberengwa
Primary School – Masase
In 1998, Rev Mtata decided to leave his job to become a Pastor.
Rev Mtata said when his father left his job at Sable Chemicals to go into ministry, life became very difficult for the family.
When he also left his own job to become a Pastor, his father showed him a letter that he had written him saying his decision to become a Pastor was the worst decision his father had made.
Family
Rev Mtata is married with 3 Children, A girl and two boys
