ZwNews Chief Correspondent
South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) and it’s Zimbabwean counterpart, ZANU PF have been lambasted for failure to advise each other on good governance and human rights issues.
The ANC is currently in Zimbabwe for a solidarity visit to its ruling party counterpart.
Details emerging from their meeting indicate the two parties are happy about the state of affairs in the country, despite the fact that the visit come at a time the country is burning both economically and politically.
Speaking to the media after their meeting last evening, ZANU PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the two sister parties spoke a lot concerning their bilateral relations and were happy. He said the major concern was that of illegal sanctions imposed by the western countries and called for their unconditional immediate removal.
His sentiments were supported by the ruling party’s secretary for administration Obert Mpofu whole said as former liberation movements they should always be on the lookout for malcontents being funded by western governments to cause instability. He blamed the MDC-Alliance for allegedly having had caused the recent protests in Zimbabwe.
“We call upon compatriots to cast a cautious eye, on these bad elements bent on the destabilisation of the region,” said Mpofu.
In his address, leader of the delegation and ANC’s secretary general Acie Magashule said it was good for them to have an opportunity to be on the ground and get an appreciation of things they had been hearing from afar. He praised Mnangagwa for the opportunity.
“We clearly understand the situation prevailing on the ground, and we want to move forward as former liberation movements in helping find a solution,” said Magashule.
Meanwhile, political commentators took a swipe on both parties for failure to call a spade a spade, and engage in constructive criticism when it is necessary. They say with the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe where the security forces are everywhere hunting and harassing civilians, it is bad for ANC to come here only to sing praise melodies.
Elder Mabhunu says responsible friendship thrive being on honest with each other, and that this is the area where constructive criticism come in. “The major problem with these movements is that they are so blind when their counterparts are brutalising their citizens, only to open eyes wide when it could be opposition parties to blame.
“Despite presenting Mnangagwa with the Freedom Charter, the ANC should have denounced the country’s leaders for setting on the country’s security forces to hunt and kill civilians,” says Mabhunu. He says the delegation should have been apparelled by the heavy presence of soldiers and police in the streets, as though the country is at war, a clear sign that things are not normal.
He also took a swipe on the regional bodies and the African continent at large for endorsing abusive regimes, and failure to condemn human rights abuses among member states.
Renowned political commentator Alex Magaisa agrees, saying there should not be any solidarity visit to talk about when things are this bad.
Another political analyst, Upsetter Maune says it is high time, the former liberation movements should know that their days of oppression are numbered, giving the recent events in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an opposition leader was crowned President as example. Maune says inevitable winds of change are blowing.
In the same light, by the time the international world was condemning state brutality in the country, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sees nothing wrong with his neighbour President Mnangagwa. He recently torched storm when he said Mnangagwa was a sincere leader, who is doing his best for democracy, and need to be given time.
