In Zimbabwe, there’s a reward for being an opposition political party leader — provided you wine and dine with President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“After three years we will then review and make sure they can belong to you,” Mnangagwa said at the handover ceremony.“The vehicle is from the government of Zimbabwe. I am a political leader in Zimbabwe. I lead a party called NCA. The NCA believes in the Polad philosophy. I believe in the Polad philosophy. The vehicle will help me to spread the Polad approach and build the NCA. Wait and see,” Madhuku said on Twitter.
At the ceremony, Mnangagwa revealed he had given Douglas Mwonzora of the MDC-T the position of leader of the opposition in parliament. “I met MDC-T leader Mr Douglas Mwonzora. I was informed by the speaker of parliament that he is now the official leader of the opposition in parliament,” he said. Mwonzora, a comrade turned foe of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, has been widely accused of being a Zanu-PF auxiliary. And if he plays his cards right, he too can get a brand-new car.However, back home the view of the Polad grouping is low. A survey by the Mass Public Opinion Institute and Afrobarometer says 73% of Zimbabweans don’t trust the initiative.
“Most Zimbabweans think that the national dialogue process should go beyond political parties and include participation by other stakeholders, including businesses, churches and civil society. But only about one in four citizens endorse the Polad framework as the only viable option for bringing stability and development to Zimbabwe, while almost half of citizens do not offer an opinion on the Polad framework,” the report says.