Harare (New Ziana)– President Emerson Mnangagwa on Sunday congratulated the country’s main opposition party, the MDC on its 20th anniversary.

The MDC, which was founded on September 11, 1999, postponed its anniversary celebrations which were scheduled for this weekend to avoid a counter attraction with the funeral service of the late Robert Mugabe.

“Congratulations to @mdczimbabwe on your 20th anniversary this week. Though we have our differences, this is what democracy is all about,” President Mnangagwa said on his twitter account.

“I look forward to many more years of debate and dialogue.”

President Mnangagwa has since assuming office advocated for the need to have political tolerance in the country despite varying beliefs.

Last year, President Mnangagwa said the government was considering giving official recognition to the leader of the biggest opposition party in Zimbabwe in a mirror image of the British Parliamentary system.

In Britain, the Leader Of The Opposition is normally viewed as an alternative Prime Minister, and leads an official opposition shadow Cabinet which scrutinises the actions of the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister, as well as offer alternative policies.

The British Leader of the Opposition, currently Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour Party, is entitled to a salary in addition to his salary as a Member of Parliament.

Leader of Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party is MDC’s Nelson Chamisa who lost last year’s Presidential election to President Mnangagwa.

In comments following his congratulatory message, Zimbabweans welcomed the conciliatory approach embraced by President Mnangagwa.

A twitter user @gundwenation said; “Well done Your Excellency, you are a unifier as head of state.”

“That is maturity now. I hope it will go beyond this and make Zimbabwe great again,” another user Baron, McDonald Mukundi said.

In another tweet in reply to President Mnangagwa, Charity Maodza also commended the President.

“This is commendable and a sign of maturity. Zimbabwe needs this type of political tolerance, unity and progressive leadership. You have set a tone that the opposition will find hard to reciprocate. Keep on raising the democratic standards in Zimbabwe.”

New Ziana