Published: 14 May 2018

In November 2017, Zimbabwe witnessed Robert Mugabe's unceremonious departure from power following a military coup staged by his own lieutenants. Having been in power for an unbroken 37 years of dictatorial rule, Mugabe left behind a nation in distress in both political and economic terms.

The coup plotters have arrogated to themselves key positions in all institutions of government despite most of them having been implicated in flagrant violation of human rights against Zimbabweans in the recent past. What is even worrying is the brazenness with which the justice system meddles in partisan politics to settle political scores.

The new regime has promised to turn around the economy and do away with the Zimbabwe that Zimbabweans got accustomed to during the Mugabe years. However, these promises have been made at a time that Zimbabwe faces its watershed 2018 elections.

Questions have arisen as to whether the ZANU-PF regime led by Emmerson Mnangagwa will move beyond political rhetoric and focus on delivering free, fair and credible elections. It is against this backdrop that the MDC Alliance South Africa has planned to hold a gala dinner in Johannesburg, South Africa to interrogate some of the issues that have arisen since the November 15 coup in Zimbabwe.

The proposed gala seeks to bring together academics and political actors from across the political divide to allow for more interaction with the MDC Alliance principals whose main speakers will be Messrs Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and Professor Welshman Ncube. One of the notable South African nationals to grace the event is Professor David Moore, a veteran South African political analyst from the University of Johannesburg.

The MDC Alliance South Africa Shadow Embassy plans to hold a gala dinner in Johannesburg in South Africa.

The event will bring together actors from think tanks, other political parties and government officials represented in South Africa, diplomatic officials or their representatives, potential investors and people in business and prominent individuals who are key opinion makers. At the gala dinner Principals of the MDC Alliance will closely engage with all critical players and key partners to discuss developments in Zimbabwe since the coup, the roadmap to the 2018 elections and share their economic blue print for genuine economic revival in Zimbabwe. They will also explain the opportunities for change and contradictions in the contemporary dispensation.

 The MDC Alliance has also formed a Policy and Research Committee which comprises economic and legal
 brains like Hatfield MP Tapiwa Mashakada and Adv. Tendai Biti, who have been tasked to come up with
 alternative policies to rescue Zimbabwe's economy.
 Date: Thursday 31st of May 2018
 Time: 18H30
 Venue: St.GeorgeHotelandConferencecentre
 Irene - Centurion

PRESENTERS
(1) What is the likelihood that the new Zim regime will deliver free, fair and credible elections? (Prof David
Moore)
(2) Has the political crisis in Zim been handled in a maladroit way? How should it have been handled?
(Advocate Nelson Chamisa)
(3) What economic and political prospects exist for the MDC Alliance? Advocate Tendai Biti
(4) What lessons have we learnt from the Zim political crisis? How sure are we that we will do things
differently this time? (Prof. Welshman Ncube)
(5) Way forward
- online

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