Harare- President Emmerson Mnangagwa is willing to engage MDC president Nelson Chamisa on one condition that he recognises Mnangagwa as the legitimate President.

This was revealed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Ndavaningi Nick Mnagwana.

“If Mr Chamisa wants to engage President Mnangagwa on any issue, there is no problem… but the issue which is not up for discussion, because it was resolved by the people of Zimbabwe, is who is the president of the republic, which brings up the issue of legitimacy” Mangwana said

“President Mnangagwa can engage Chamisa anytime. He is the president of the republic and Chamisa is the leader of the opposition. If those positions are established, and as Chamisa is a Zimbabwean, President Mnangagwa will engage with any Zimbabwean”

However, MDC secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora said that it not acceptable that ZANU PF is setting conditions for dialogue.

“ZANU PF is setting conditions for dialogue and it is unacceptable, whatever they are demanding from us they must say it on the dialogue table. They cannot set conditions, it’s negotiating in bad faith to set conditions, and these talks must be unconditional” said Mwonzora

Chamisa has consistently been calling for dialogue with President Mnangagwa as the economic situation continues to deteriorate.

Efforts to have the two come together have been scuppered by legitimacy issues in which Nelson Chamisa claims that the July 30, 2018 elections were rigged therefore he cannot recognise Mnangagwa says President.

A Constitutional Court ruling declared Mnangagwa as the winner of the plebiscite.