PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says he will be reviving the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) - a platform where unsuccessful presidential candidates can engage with him.

The POLAD platform was created for Mnangagwa's losing opponents in 2019 and has over the years been heavily criticised for wining and dining with him.

For the past five years, POLAD members have been receiving government privileges, such as top of the range vehicles, flights to resort destinations, VIP treatment at State events, despite the majority of them not garnering a significant percentage of the 2018 vote.

Speaking to journalists just after announcing the new cabinet Monday, Mnangagwa described POLAD as "helpful".

"The POLAD platform was extremely useful. It was a platform where other political parties who participated in the 2018 general elections did not make it and through the POLAD platform we were able to interact and exchange across the entire framework of government.

"We were able to discuss without limitation and it was a very good platform for Zimbabweans to come together and share. I think this platform, I will continue so that all the political parties who contested will come on board and we continue that practice, it was very helpful," Mnangagwa said.

However, Mnangagwa reportedly rejected a raft of reforms suggested by POLAD members in his previous term.

In 2021, POLAD members accused Mnangagwa of going behind their POLAD colleagues' back to pass into law the much-condemned Constitutional Amendment Bill (Number 2) which among other things, removes the obligation on future presidential election candidates to select running mates.

The law also grants the President the prerogative to handpick judges to the country's bench while also extending the tenure of judges beyond their retirement age.