Zimbabwe’s National Convergence Platform (NCP) has set August 2015 as the kick off date for the talks designed to bring the country’s divided civic, political and religious leaders together for a national conversation on the country’s future. The former Anglican Bishop of Harare, the Rt. Rev. Sebastian Bakare will be chairman of the national indaba whose participants will include politicians, trade unionists, student leaders, war veterans, the business community, civic groups, religious and tribal leaders. NCP spokesperson Charles Mangongera told reporters last week: “Our mandate is not to resolve the economic, social and political crisis,” but to “offer a platform for Zimbabweans from all walks of life to come together and to have frank and honest dialogue about the crisis and how to resolve it.” The NCP came close to collapse earlier this year when the opposition MDC-T party claimed ownership of the project, prompting boycott threats from the ruling ZANU-PF party. However, Bishop Bakare told reporters the MDC-T had been invited to participate, but not lead the conversations. Mr. Mangongera confirmed the apolitical NCP this week saying politicians were “being invited in their individual capacities and will not be expected to present their narrow partisan interests.”
