Political analyst and academic Ibbo Mandaza has said that a national transitional authority was the only way for Zimbabwe to move forward. Speaking about a possible Government of National Unity (GNU), Mandaza said,
We have been facilitating the talks since 2015 and, in light of what we think would be a disputed election, we are focusing on a post-election transitional authority so as to bring about peace and reconciliation, and a return a to constitutionalism which includes the army going back to the barracks. We are aware that some parties are already talking about a GNU and we will talk to Zanu PF when the time comes. This is a platform where concerned parties are also talking to the region and the international community for re-engagement. We spoke to representatives of all (the) political parties but there were no principals
However, this was dismissed by Oxford scholar Philan Zamchiya who told the Daily News,
At the moment, I see no such prospects. The military oligarchy buoyed by renewed international support, plagued by internal contradictions and with its hierarchy not feeling so well has a winner take all mentality. Read beneath and beyond. Any post-election GNU talk or signal is insincere, mere carrot dangling and a strategy to reduce the necessary pre-election noise from the opposition. So fight like there is no GNU! That’s it.
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