SA official claim Zim government never helped it during war - Sikhala

...social commentators cliam Mbeki was the one arrested and incarcerated at Khami prison by Zanu PF.

MDC-T official Job Sikhala has said a South African government official who is his friend told him that Zimbabwe must be grateful of his country because Zimbabwe never assisted SA struggle against apartheid but supported the Pan Africanist Congress.

"I was talking to some high ranking government official of SA who is my good friend," said Sikhala. "We ended up chatting about his views about xenophobia. Without shame he said that Zimbabwe must be grateful about SA's hospitality to Zimbabweans because SA government owes Zimbabwe nothing because our government never supported their struggle."

Sikhala said the friend  said that ruling ZANU PF was supporting the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), and many ANC cadres suffered humiliation on the hands of Zimbabwean government.

"He alleged that the ANC combatants suffered arrest and torture during the period of Gukurahundi because the Zimbabwean government accused the ANC of working in cahoots with PF ZAPU and Russia to overthrow the government," said Sikhala. "He said that the ANC was accused of co ownership of purported arms' catches in Matabeleland in the early 80s. He told me whether I know that Thabo Mbeki was arrested and humiliated during that time."

Sikhala said the South African he did not name said so his country owes nothing to Zimbabweans and that they achieved their freedom through the assistance of true friends such as Angola, Cuba, Zambia, Russia and other friendly Eastern European country.

"So Zimbabwe must shut up," Sikhala said the friend told him.
His remarks were echoed by Busani Tshuma who said Thabo Mbeki was incarcerated at Khami prison in 1984.

"But the point is we are not in South Africa representing Zanu but ourselves.our predicament is clear...we are,economic refugees.period.we ddnt seek anyone's approval to cross the borders," he said.

Zexie Mashonga said that was 100% correct but of course Zanu PF  does not want to hear about that.

"South Africa is just doing us Zimbabweans a favour," he said. "If you look at who employ people here, you find out that there are the same whites who had everything taken by Zanu PF. The gentleman is correct, Zanu PF did not help ANC in anything."

 Adam Nyamuronda said the comments, if made on mutual friendship, is only for matter of awareness and historical records but unacceptable against all logic of humanity.

"Zimbabweans are in SA not as zanu pf but as political and economic refugees and most do not subscribe to Mugabe and Zanu PF rule. Surely he can not hold any future governments to the view of Mugabe unless his intelligence is obscured somehow."

But Raymond Gondo asked  why is the ANC government propping up Mugabe's dictatorship?

"Why are they giving him all the support including at UN Security council," he said. "ZANU PF and ANC are one. So South Africans must not complain about influx of Zimbabweans into South Africa stay with them because you defend Mugabe's tyrannical regime."

George Mkhwananzi said Job's SA friend was relating the true history.

"The Zanu PF Government even aided SA agents in the assassination of Joe Gqabi in Zimbabwe," he said. "However your friend's position is not an official one as SA has done literally every thing to absorb the economic impetus that could have resulted with Mugabe's overthrow by now."