Call for politicall tolerance
Grace Moyo
Zimbabweans have been urged to exercise tolerance as the nation edges closer to the 23 August harmonised election.
The call came on Friday night during a Public Policy Research Institute of Zimbabwe (PPRIZ) lecture themed, ‘Political Tolerance, Violence Free, and Policy Oriented Campaigns.’
Keynote speaker, Dr Wayne Malinga emphasised the need for peaceful campaings and tolerance within and between political parties. He outlined strategies that can be employed to achieve peace during the election period which include the need to fully appreciate and tolerate divergent political views.
“It is important to have violence-free campaigns. Peaceful and credible elections are essential for democracy to thrive. Violence impacts negatively on the credibility of elections. It is also important to preach non-violence before, during and post-election. There is need for contesting parties to play by the rules provided by the code of conduct for political parties and candidates who should allow campaigns to be determined by issues affecting the people,” said Dr Malinga.
Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) House of Assembly candidate for Lobengula-Magwegwe constituency, Nigel Ndlovu concurred with Dr Malinga on the need to place citizens at the centre of issues.
“A key aspect of our ZAPU manifesto is the Human Security Model which seeks the greater good of the masses and not the elite. Our focus is on the people,” he said.
Ndlovu told delegates that ZAPU is the only policy-oriented party as evidenced by the fact that it is currently the only party with a manifesto. “People must desist from the politcs of popularity and focus on the politics of policy,” he added.
As a measure to promote political tolerance, Dr Malinga recommended inter party dialogues
During the plenary session, Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association BVTA Director, Michael Ndiweni decried a deficiency of morals that usually escalates during elections. Ndiweni contended that if this moral decadence is not nipped in the bud, a non-violent election remains a pipe dream.
“As long as this country continues on the path of the moral deficiency that we are seeing from certain political parties during this election period, believe you me talking of a non violent election is a mere waste of time,” Ndiweni said.
Recently in Bulawayo there was a violent attack on journalists and vendors at the vegetable market area along Fife Street and 6th avenue by Zanu pf members who were reportedly evicting vendors who did not have the ruling party’s membership cards.
Former Minister of State Enterprises and Parastatals in the Government of National Unity of 2009-2013, Gorden Moyo reminded aspiring candidates vying for political office in Matabeleland that there are certain qualifications required to lead the people in the region.
“We want to know whether you understand our past, share our past and have experienced our past. We should remind ourselves all the time that the past is present because up to now, there are people whom we still do not know where they were buried,” said Dr Moyo while asserting that the region’s history has been distorted and falsified.
The lecture was attended by the media, civic society organisations, and political players from across the political divide, among other stakeholders.
