Zimbabwe’s problems a thorn in flesh for SA- Chamisa

MDC Alliance has welcomed the renewed attempts to resolve the country’s crisis by South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress.

This follows another visit by the SA envoy a few weeks ago, however, the visit yielded nothing much, as the delegation failed to engage all the stakeholders.

The envoy only met President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his party, but were escorted to the airport without meeting other interested parties.

Meanwhile, ANC and State President Cyril Ramaphosa told South African media soon after his party’s National Executive Meeting Monday that his governing party had resolved to engage all stakeholders in Zimbabwe.

Ramaphosa said his country “felt” the challenges being experienced by its troubled neighbour and was keen on seeing an end to the crisis.

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com Tuesday, MDC-Alliance secretary for international relations and cooperation Gladys Hlatywayo said these were signs that South Africa understood the implications of a neighbouring country that is turmoil.

“It shows you that the Zimbabwe crisis is more of a domestic policy problem for South Africa than a foreign policy issue due to the impact it has on South Africa.

“That is why President Cyril Ramaphosa referred to the crisis on the Beitbridge border,” she said.

Hlatywayo said ANC’s stance was also an endorsement of an earlier stance by Ramaphosa to send envoys to Zimbabwe to investigate the nature and depth of the Zimbabwean crisis.

The MDC official also hailed South Africa’s governing authority for plans to engage all stakeholders in Zimbabwe other than Zanu-PF only.

“We certainly welcome this move and hope it will help us as Zimbabweans to move forward and resolve the crisis,” she said.

Following Ramaphosa’s announcement, this means the ANC’s initiative will run in tandem with an earlier resolve by the South African government to remedy the Zimbabwean crisis.

Zimbabwe is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in 12 years.

The crisis has been worsened by a brutal reaction to dissent by government which accuses critics of attempts to overthrow the Emmerson Mnangagwa led administration.

Zimbabwean authorities insist the country’s challenges were not too grave to warrant external intervention.

-Newsday