SA dismisses Zimbabweans influx allegations

SOUTH Africa's Home Affairs department has dismissed claims by the country's opposition party, Democratic Alliance (DA), that there's an influx of Zimbabweans into the neighbouring country following the recent violent protests.

The demonstrations, which saw six people losing their lives and property worth millions of dollars being destroyed, were instigated by MDC-Alliance.

The DA, a white-dominated South African opposition party, is a long-time opponent of Zimbabwe and the biggest rival to South Africa's ruling party ANC, a liberation movement with strong ties to Zanu-PF.

The DA visited the border post on Wednesday in what it said was an assessment of the country's readiness to deal with what it claimed could be thousands of Zimbabwean nationals seeking refuge in South Africa.

The opposition party in a statement claimed that there was pressure at the Beitbridge Border Post as thousands of Zimbabweans were seeking refuge in South Africa. However, the South African Home Affairs Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson, Mr Hlomani Chauke, dismissed the DA claims, saying there was no crisis at the Beitbridge Border Post.

"There is no crisis so far, we are still in control. The department is gearing up. Right now we're putting pressure on ourselves as the committee to make sure that the officers at the frontline, including those at the borders and points of entry, are focused and put their work first," he said.

The South African government on Wednesday distanced itself from threats by the DA leader Mr Mmusi Maimane to compile a human rights abuse dossier against the Zimbabwean Government following the protests.

It emerged that DA had forged an alliance with the Mr Nelson Chamisa-led MDC and a clique of expelled members of Zanu-PF known as G40.

Three days ago, pictures of a meeting of DA and former Zimbabwean legislators, Shadreck Mashayamombe and Jappy Jaboon and former chairman of the Children of War Veterans Association Munyaradzi Shoko, among others, circulated on social media.

South Africa's Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mphakama Mbete said they were shocked by Mr Maimane's remarks. He said the South African Government was focusing on buttressing relations with Zimbabwe and advised Mr Maimane to stay out of Zimbabwe's politics.

Political analysts said the DA represented white colonial interests and was bent on stalling the land reform programme in South Africa while the likes of Shoko and Mashayamombe were a nuisance to the country's democracy.