The secretary general of the main wing of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Tendai Biti, who is also the chief negotiator in the ongoing talks between the ruling ZANU PF party and the opposition says the dialogue will be meaningless if fails to address fundamental economic and social issues affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.

Biti said: “The ongoing SADC talks will not mean anything if they are not felt by the ordinary person in Marange, Rusape, Bindura, Chitungwiza, Gwanda, Chiredzi and Gutu. They must make a difference in the production and lives of the ordinary people in these areas; otherwise all the efforts that we have put in negotiating will mean nothing.”

Biti who spoke after the leader of the House of Assembly and ZANU PF chief negotiator in the talks Patrick Chinamasa had tabled the amendments to the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Broadcasting Services Act and the Electoral Act, said the biggest problem that has been bedevilling the crisis-ridden country has been the lack of trust among politicians from different political parties.

“The biggest problem is that as leaders we have created a ‘Durawall’ of intolerance where we cannot allow the freedom of expression and the thriving of divergent views in the country and this has trickled down to the ordinary person. I was at a funeral last week and some people could not address me as Mr. Biti just because they were afraid of being labelled opposition supporters so they simply said Biti,” he said.

He added saying the talks have reached a crescendo and are now at a decisive moment. He said the negotiating parties have covered a third of the ground and the tabling of the amendments in parliament was just the beginning.

“Yes the honourable Minister of Justice and my colleague Patrick Chinamasa has said in his address to this house that we have covered 97 % of the work but I say we have only covered a third of the work to be done.

The tabling of these amendments – though significant in addressing some of the issues that we had wanted addressed – it is important to note that the work has just began because these are just technical aspects of the negotiations which needs to be felt on the ground and bring a change in the culture of how we do business in this country,” said Biti.

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