President in Bulawayo to meet civil society organisations . . . ED engages Mat’land President Mnangagwa greets security chiefs on his arrival at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo yesterday (Picture by Obey Sibanda)

Nduduzo Tshuma/ Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporters

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo yesterday to meet civil society organisations from Matabeleland region at State House in an expanded engagement drive to strengthen dialogue between the Government and the organisations.

The President last year acceded to requests for a meeting with the Matabeleland Collective to discuss a number of issues affecting the region ranging from development to reconciliation and inclusivity.

Today’s meeting has been expanded to accommodate organisations outside the ambit of the Matabeleland Collective.

Addressing a press conference in Bulawayo yesterday evening, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabhiza who is also head of secretariat in the engagement and dialogue with Matabeleland civil society organisations, said the President will receive feedback on the progress of engagement.

 “It is an opportunity for the President to receive feedback on the engagement that the Government has so far had with civil society. I’m sure you know that sometime last year and in fact on the 21st of March 2019, His Excellency came here to Bulawayo and dialogued with civil society.

“So, as a listening President, His Excellency has taken time to travel and hear personally the voice of the people of Matabeleland so that he strengthens the relationship and continues to build the trust,” said Mrs Mabhiza.

“By honest and frank dialogue, he hopes to improve interaction between civil society and Government.  In fact it is the prime purpose for such dialogue.”

Mrs Mabhiza said after the initial engagement, the Government and civil society organisations developed a matrix on various areas of implementation.

“May I say at this point that the matrix is one of the key issues on the agenda and I would not like to pre-empt what we are going to discuss,” said Mrs Mabhiza. “When we initially came here it was upon the invitation of a specific grouping which is the Matabeleland Collective hence his Excellency had to have a dialogue with that grouping.

“However, as we progressed with engagement and dialogue for the sake of dialogue and peace-building it was seen fit that we can expand to any other interested civil society organisation from the same region to assist us.”

President Mnangagwa landed at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport accompanied by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe and other Government officials.

He was welcomed by Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Judith Ncube, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission chairperson Retired Justice Selo Nare, his deputy Commissioner Lillian Chigwedere and commissioner Mr Lesley Ncube, senior government officials and service chiefs.

 

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