ANC supports Mugabe's govt

Regional countries have vindicated evidence gathered by Zimbabwe's security systems showing that there was a third force in the civil disturbances that rocked some parts of the country last week.

Yesterday South Africa's ruling ANC said the recent protests in Zimbabwe were sponsored to bring about regime change.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo and his State Security counterpart Kembo Mohadi this week said Government had gathered enough evidence proving that there was a hidden hand in the riotous activities experienced in some parts of the country last week.

They implicated US ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Harry Thomas and French ambassador Mr Laurent Delahousse as chief architects of the chaos.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe told journalists in Johannesburg yesterday after his party's national working committee meeting that the committee "expressed concern" about the recent upsurge of destabilisation activities in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Mantashe said the disturbances in the two countries were not new as they came in the wake of a recent assessment by liberation movements pointing towards sponsored activities bent on regime change.

"These activities follow the assessment we had earlier made as liberation movements of the sponsored elements seeking to effect regime change in the region," he said.

ANC, Zanu-PF and other former liberation movements often have meetings to discuss common issues.

Mantashe said economic problems in Zimbabwe had persisted for some time but agents of regime change should not take that as an advantage to advance their machinations.

"That reflects a long history of difficulties in Zimbabwe," he said.

"Our view is if that economy is not assisted to revive and recover, it will be in trouble there for a long time. This was the responsibility of the people of Zimbabwe themselves, just like improving the South African economy was the responsibility of South Africans themselves.

"But it should never give a licence to regime change elements to revive restlessness in Zimbabwe.

"Every citizen in Zimbabwe should appreciate the difficulties and contribute positively in the economy of Zimbabwe."

With reference to recent protests in South Africa, Mantashe said he would like to take journalists to other countries across the continent to see that South Africa's problems, which people protested about, were not as bad as in other countries.

Last week some rowdy elements operating under the #Tajamuka and #ThisFlag called for a stay away.

The so-called stay away flopped as Zimbabweans chose to go about their daily businesses.

Earlier, the rioters had destroyed property worthy thousands of dollars in Beitbridge after torching a Zimra warehouse.

The protesters destroyed private property and blocked roads prompting the police to intervene to restore order.