blic Conversation hosted by Witwatersrand
University on ‘The Leadership Challenge in Zimbabwe’,
the Director for Open Society Initiative for Southern
Africa and founding member for National Constitutional
Assembly,Tawanda Mutasa said, “There should be a
constitutional convention to discuss the future of the
country. We should not let few individual to decide on
the fate of the country. The mediation talks should
also be inclusive and not confined to six men.”
The debate was facilitated by the Platform on Public
Deliberations and was part of a series titled Which
way next? Conversations on African leadership.
Southern Africa Development Community initiated the
mediation process after South Africa President Thabo
Mbeki.Zanu PF leads the March 11 debacle and Movement
for Democratic Change leaders have been involved in
talks.
Mutasa added that the talks should include women
groups, youths, churches, businesspeople and civic
society organizations for it to achieve best results.
The mediation should not be held in a closet.
“There has been framing by Mugabe regime that the
crisis is between Harare and London,” said Mutasa.
Elinor Sisulu,the Advocacy and Media Manager at Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition said, “People in Zimbabwe who
are trying to rise up are being suppressed by police.
National Constitutional Assembly activists are still
in hospital after they were brutalized. Women Arise in
Zimbabwe are continuously harassed by police when are
organizing marches. Zimbabweans are militant but the
situation prevailing in the country its impossible for
people to demand their rights.”
The NCA has been calling for people driven
constitution in Zimbabwe and they have been
demonstrating around the country for the Robert Mugabe
regime to bow down to pressure. The Harare regime have
made it clear that constitution is not their priority
and they are busy pushing for the 18th Amendment to
give more powers to Mugabe.
Mutasa and Sisulu demanded the regional government to
intervene in Zimbabwe to make sure that there will be
free and fair election.
Trevor Ncube,the publisher of The Zimbabwe
Independent, Standard and Mail Guardian said,
Zimbabweans should be prepared to offer amnesty to
Mugabe to move forward with the country.
“If that means giving Robert Mugabe immunity from
prosecution, let that be done.Mugabe is the stumbling
block in the whole process,” said Ncube.