(Last Updated on March 15, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Hwange Central Member of Parliament, Daniel Molokele has urged Zimbabweans to look beyond their political identities and put the country first.
Speaking to zimDaily, Molekele said Zimbabwe has the potential to be a great country if we find each other politically.
“This Zimbabwe should not be one of those countries, it should be a great Zimbabwe. It should be a country that we are proud to be associated with. And with the natural resources that we have and the human capital, we have the potential to be one of the most admired countries.
“All we need is to unite, especially politically. We are failing politically. If we could find each other politically and you know that in 1980 after the Lancaster House, we tried to work together to move the country. In 1988, after the Unity Accord, we tried to move the country.
“In 2009, after the Global Political Agreement(GPA), the late Dr Morgan Tsvangirai and the late Robert Mugabe, they tried to unite the country. And we could see from that all-inclusive government that if the main political parties work together, we focus on development as the country. People on the ground can benefit. So what we need is political unity,” Molokele said.
The Hwange Central legislator added that there was a need for dialogue that is inclusive and goes beyond political parties to involve every stakeholder.
Commenting on the widely debated patriotic bill, Molekele said it was misplaced and ill-timed.
“Part of Parliament is pushing for it, to be more specific, I would say the ZANU-PF parliamentary caucus is pushing for it. I am one of the MPs who has stood out opposing the bill because I think the timing is bad, it’s a punitive bill by the way. It’s targeting people who do not necessarily support the government position on human rights, democracy and so on.
“So these people are going out internationally and are standing up. Maybe they are political, maybe they are civil society, but the bill is proposing that if you are a Zimbabwean and you are seen on an international stage speaking about human rights violations, democracy in Zimbabwe, the closing of democratic space, that on it’s own is not a patriotic act, it’s a criminal offence,” observed the MDC Alliance legislator.
“And we think its a deliberate effort to close down the voices of dissent because if you are going to campaign against human rights violations, you are doing it because you love Zimbabwe,” he added.
Speaking on the work he has been doing for his constituency, Molokele said he has been implementing various projects targeted at empowering the marginalised including women and children.
Adding that he has also cultivated a culture of creating feedback platforms for his constituency and is in the process of setting up the “office of the MP” in Hwange to improve the development initiatives for the people in the area.
