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SA mediation divides Zanu PF

BY MOSES MATENGA SHARP divisions have emerged in the ruling Zanu PF party with hardliners rubbishing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s efforts to intervene in the Zimbabwean crisis while moderates have welcomed the move. The hardliners, led by presidential spokesperson George Charamba yesterday said South Africa was too young a democracy to intervene in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs and had no capacity to help any Sadc country, except simply offering solidarity messages. But in sharp contrast, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu said the ruling party had no qualms with the coming in of an African National Congress (ANC) delegation to meet “whoever they want”. This discord in the ruling party came following Ramaphosa’s announcement on Monday that he would soon dispatch his special envoys back to Harare to meet all key stakeholders, including the opposition, civic society and the church to resolve the deep-rooted crisis before it morphs into a regional crisis. Charamba said South Africa’s actions raised suspicion that Pretoria was being used as a pawn in United States diplomacy, adding that only Zimbabwe had the capacity to play a stabilising role in the Sadc region. “Lastly, whence comes this impression that South Africa can intervene in Zimbabwe, assuming there are grounds for such intervention?” Charamba tweeted yesterday under a pseudonym @Jamwanda2. “On what basis, what might, what capacity, beyond that of solidarity, camaraderie and good-natured concern by a neighbour? South Africa is the youngest State in our region. It faces myriad problems of along apartheid. It has no capacity to help any African State in Sadc, beyond friendly solidarity.” South Africa last month deployed three envoys to Zimbabwe after its own ruling ANC party and the international community raised alarm over worsening human rights violations under Mnangagwa’s watch. The position was taken after ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, chairperson of the international relations committee Lindiwe Zulu and Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Naledi Pandor warned that the Zimbabwean crisis could spill into the region. Mnangagwa has, however, denied that the country is in a crisis. “Let that sink into minds of all and sundry. In any event, Zimbabwe, alongside many Sadc countries which got their independence before South Africa, has gone quite some way in resolving its colonial legacy and empowering its people, something the ANC government is grappling to do just now,” Charamba added. “South Africa is no donor State in Sadc. If anything, its long apartheid legacy makes its post-1994 sub-regional role quite problematic for the rest of Sadc States who know the continued dominance of Afrikaner capital in Sadc.” South Africa got her independence in 1994. But Mpofu yesterday said Zanu PF had no qualms with the coming in of an ANC delegation as they always met as “sisterly parties”. “We are always collaborating with the ANC on a regular basis and this is really not a new development as indicated by yourselves. We are col

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