Staff Reporter

Former MDC-T Vice President Obert Gutu says there are no possibilities of talks outside the official Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) platform where the majority of Zimbabwe’s political parties are members.

Gutu’s sentiments follow continuous calls by opposition MDC-Alliance to engage the ruling party outside POLAD which they view as a Zanu PF’s project.

POLAD is a dialogue platform created by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and launched on 17 May 2019 following calls for the need for dialogue with the opposition to find solutions for the country’s problems. MDC-Alliance, however, refused to join the group, disputing the 2018 harmonised elections.

Posting on his twitter handle, Gutu who is accused by the MDC-Alliance of being a Zanu-PF sympathiser said, “As a political analyst, I can bet my bottom dollar and categorically state that no talks will take place in Zimbabwe outside POLAD. I know the political dynamics in my motherland and should any talks happen outside POLAD, I will change my name to Abu Musab Al Zaqaw.”

The ruling party is on record saying the MDC-Alliance was welcome if they were really serious to engage, but should come through POLAD where other political parties are members.

MDC-Alliance vice president Tendai Biti was recently quoted saying that his party was ready to begin talks with Zanu-PF to find lasting political and economic solutions for Zimbabwe but was not keen to deal with its rival faction, the MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora which is also part of POLAD.

“We are prepared to talk to President Mnangagwa without any conditionality, we haven’t said President Mnangagwa must cease to be President before we talk to him, we haven’t said that, but having said that, no one can seduce us to accept a lie and accept processes that were against our constitution,” said Biti.

Biti, however, said his party would not entertain any talks with the MDC-T led by Mwonzora saying it is a creation of Zanu-PF.