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Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter

Participants in the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) are disturbed by insinuations that they are lining their pockets instead of moving the country forward.

In an interview with The Herald on Monday, MDC-T vice president Mr Obert Gutu said there was a “misleading and utterly malicious narrative about POLAD that is being peddled by certain hostile and capricious political malcontents”.

“POLAD isn’t there to milk taxpayers’ money for the corrupt and personal benefit of particular individuals. POLAD is a national programme that is open to all political parties that fielded presidential candidates in the 2018 harmonised elections.

“The notion that some of us are in POLAD in order to line our pockets is utterly false, ridiculous, malevolent and mischievous. We are not paid any allowances for attending POLAD meetings,” said Mr Gutu.

United Democratic People’s Party (UDPP) president Mr Mapfumo Peter Gava said POLAD had nothing to do with individual gains, but was a chance for political parties to improve Zimbabweans’ livelihoods.

“My party takes in high esteem being patriotic and rooted in the masses of Zimbabwe. It is this and the many economic and social problems facing us as a nation that we set aside our conflicts and heeded the call for being part of a process to make Zimbabwe a better place to live in the future.

“As part of POLAD, we believe that as Zimbabweans we can build a framework of making bridges for success among ourselves and the international community. National healing and reconciliation is a foundational necessity to build new beginnings for all Zimbabweans, where embracing each other is key for development,” he said.

Mr Gava said participation in POLAD will achieve theoretical and practical action in finding solutions for a balanced society based on agreed principles on areas of Governance and rule of law, economic practice, legal issues and statutory moderation.

President Mnangagwa has already hailed political parties that have joined POLAD for bringing sound governance ideas and highlighted that those who shun dialogue should wait for the next election in 2023.