LONG before MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa made his rather lame address to the media on Wednesday last week, serious and probing minds in the country were already checking their diaries to see when the next major event in the country would take place.

And the uncanny nature of fate was swiftly on hand to point its campus towards the highly subscribed Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) Economic Summit that took place on Thursday.

POLAD brings together politicians who contested the 2018 presidential elections (minus Chamisa by personal choice).

While Chamisa had on Wednesday threatened to (violently) confront Government through demonstrations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa was on the other hand seized with engaging Zimbabweans from across the board with a view to bringing about an inclusive economy for the country.

The opposition leader has refused to be part of POLAD, instead clamouring for a one-on-one interaction with President Mnangagwa.

Confronted by the overwhelming reality that his wishes will not come to pass, the bellicose Chamisa has resorted to his party’s usual violence tactics.

It would be foolhardy for anyone to overlook the overwhelming fact that the involvement of the West is a glaring reality in this violent confrontation project.

The West has been agitating for a burning Zimbabwe, so too has been the hopelessly out-of-sorts opposition leader.

Rummaging through Chamisa’s incoherent address, one once again gets the overarching feeling that the beleaguered opposition leader was reading a script certainly not authored at his party offices.

The supposedly ‘angry’ tone resonates well with several reckless statements and actions made and taken by certain Western ambassadors.

Not surprisingly, the irony of the Chamisa utterances were lost on both the opposition leader and his supporters who have yet, as numb minds would do, to publicly embrace the existence of illegal economic sanctions on the country.

If anything, their mandate is to see the return of whites on the controls of the economy.

Curiously, they have refused to be participants in the many empowerment programmes initiated by the ZANU PF-led Government.

Weird is the fact that they then do not find it odd to accuse ZANU PF of giving its supporters land and other resources that are now being manned by black people of this country. The insanity becomes laughable sometimes.

Chamisa wants a revolution!

He wants to rewrite history, to be at par with veterans of the country’s liberation struggle; all to associate his party with ZANU PF’s enduring liberation struggle credentials.

We wish him luck in his endeavour, if at all it sees the light of day.

Let us give him (Chamisa) his voice and hear how he intends to execute his mammoth Government confrontation plan:

“The people are even saying ZANU PF is deaf and dumb, so don’t waste time trying to engage with them in dialogue. We are giving peace a chance, but the people are asking, ‘but what peace’? There is no peace, so you will see more protests.

Whenever there is oppression, the demand for freedom becomes natural. The Constitution gives us the power. Ultimately, the people have the right to protest and all we have to do is to provide the oxygen and that oxygen will be provided.

This year is different. We are not going to be wasting time on tomfoolery from any quarter. The police must know that they are not above the Constitution and nobody is above the Constitution. The time has come to say enough is enough and we must do what has to be done.

They will try to arrest people, they will kill people, and we know that is their default setting, but no regime has fought the people and succeeded. No gun is more powerful than a conscious people. The time has come to say enough is enough. We have drawn the line in the sand and say this far and no farther.

You will see more of the people in the streets and acting from now.

We don’t want to do something and someone becomes a beneficiary. Mr Mnangagwa is a beneficiary of the people’s genuine demand, for the 2017 people’s demand for legitimacy, but he came back to pretend to be the leader of that demand and aspiration and we are back to square one.”

While Chamisa was huffing and puffing in front of the media, President Mnangagwa, true to nature and form, was putting in motion his plans to uplift the livelihoods of the majority. Let us hear the President speaking during the highly successful POLAD meeting:

“The cornerstone of the Second Republic is dialogue as a means of resolving the challenges that may arise in our nation and the sharing of knowledge among us as Zimbabweans,” said President Mnangagwa.

“No one has the monopoly of ideas on how our country can speedily modernise, industrialise, develop and grow. It is only through dialogue and hard honest work that our collective efforts can be fruitful. As you may be aware, POLAD is a platform which seeks to enhance national cohesion, unity and political tolerance.

In addition, the forum is committed to undertake remedial steps to address identified gaps to enhance economic stability, growth and sustainable development

In that spirit, this summit presents us with an opportunity to put our minds together towards the realisation of our national vision and aspirations. We have, as a Government, declared 2020 as the year of productivity and trade; as such, let us work in unity of purpose to achieve our development milestones and ultimately, Vision 2030.

The economy is an intricate ecosystem that requires our collective effort and hard work. It influences our day to day lives regardless of our creeds, socio-economic status, political or religious persuasions, among other things. I therefore, call upon my fellow countrymen and women to join hands and help chart a better future for the collective good of our country.

In doing so, let us be realists and acknowledge that, to put our country back on its rails will not be an event, but a process. There are no quick fixes. We must be bold and stay on course, always seeking sustainable means to resolve our challenges. Let us act and speak with the collective good in mind and never be blinded by individual or sectoral benefits.

In unity of purpose, let us provide proposals and recommendations that stimulate investment, productivity, decent jobs and fight poverty. Innovative ideas which will help Government to develop robust social safety nets for the more vulnerable members of our communities are also welcome.”

Let those with ears listen.