News / National
SA xenophobia exposes Mugabe
17 Apr 2015 at 07:44hrs | Views
Firebrand war veteran and former Zanu-PF legislator Margaret Dongo, has blamed the gruesome xenophobic attacks in South Africa which have affected tens of thousands of desperate Zimbabweans living there on President Robert Mugabe's and Zanu-PF's gross misrule of the past 35 years.
Dongo said while xenophobia could never be condoned wherever this happened, the incontrovertible fact was that Zimbabwe's endless political and economic crises due to Zanu-PF's misrule were living as refugees in South Africa and other countries around the world.
She described as a shame the fact that Zimbabwe was marking 35 years of independence from Britain tomorrow while life for ordinary Zimbabweans were comparatively worse than it was in majority ruled Rhodesia, with country's unemployment rate standing at more than 90% and industries closing weekly.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF has warned South Africa that the current xenophobic attacks rocking the neighbouring country were a serious security threat to the region as they undermined unity and peace efforts by Southern African leaders.
This came amid growing calls for the South African government to act decisively in the spirit of African solidarity or risk being alienated from the regional groupings, Sadc and African Union (AU) for being complicit in the killings of foreigners, most of them economic and political refugees.
President Robert Mugabe chairs both Sadc and the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government. Millions of foreigners were in danger with at least nine, among them two Zimbabweans, having been killed in the attacks in the neighbouring country in the last few days.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the xenophobic attacks should be stopped forthwith. This barbarism must stop immediately otherwise the clarion call for unity in Sadc and the continent as a whole will be hollow, Khaya Moyo said. He said among deals signed by Zimbabwe and South Africa during Mugabe's State visit to South Africa last week, none was signed to promote xenophobia.
Political analyst Charles Mangongera said South Africa must be taken to task by regional bodies if there was evidence of failure to address the xenophobic attacks.
Dongo said while xenophobia could never be condoned wherever this happened, the incontrovertible fact was that Zimbabwe's endless political and economic crises due to Zanu-PF's misrule were living as refugees in South Africa and other countries around the world.
She described as a shame the fact that Zimbabwe was marking 35 years of independence from Britain tomorrow while life for ordinary Zimbabweans were comparatively worse than it was in majority ruled Rhodesia, with country's unemployment rate standing at more than 90% and industries closing weekly.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF has warned South Africa that the current xenophobic attacks rocking the neighbouring country were a serious security threat to the region as they undermined unity and peace efforts by Southern African leaders.
This came amid growing calls for the South African government to act decisively in the spirit of African solidarity or risk being alienated from the regional groupings, Sadc and African Union (AU) for being complicit in the killings of foreigners, most of them economic and political refugees.
President Robert Mugabe chairs both Sadc and the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government. Millions of foreigners were in danger with at least nine, among them two Zimbabweans, having been killed in the attacks in the neighbouring country in the last few days.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the xenophobic attacks should be stopped forthwith. This barbarism must stop immediately otherwise the clarion call for unity in Sadc and the continent as a whole will be hollow, Khaya Moyo said. He said among deals signed by Zimbabwe and South Africa during Mugabe's State visit to South Africa last week, none was signed to promote xenophobia.
Political analyst Charles Mangongera said South Africa must be taken to task by regional bodies if there was evidence of failure to address the xenophobic attacks.
Source - dailynews
