Mnanagwa lashes UK

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa Wednesday told the United Kingdom (UK) to stop interfering in Zimbabwe's domestic affairs.

In an address ahead of a Zanu-PF Politburo meeting, Mnangagwa said that he has the most democratic Constitution in the SADC region.

"As I stated in my address to the nation last night, my government  is gravely  concerned  about the undesired focus and debate in the British House of Lords on Zimbabwe."

He added: "This extra territorial concern by a foreign legislature on a sovereign  African  state which  is a full and equal  member of the United  Nations is grossly unwarranted.

"The brazen  disclosure that the British  government has been  meeting with various trade unions  including those for teachers most  recently  in September  2021 in Harare is yet another confirmation of very gross  and unwarranted  and blatant  interference in the domestic  affairs  of our country  by the British  government.

"This is unwelcome  and unacceptable. Professional ethics across public service ecosystem  must never be undermined by those who seek to promote an alien agenda.

"This misplaced narrative  that we need electoral reforms, economic  reform  is misplaced  no one has said what kind of electoral reform is required. In the SADC region, we have embraced all the SADC electoral  guidelines into our Constitution.

"We have gone up now eight paces in the  index of ease of doing business in terms of development reforms  but we still have people just shouting  electoral  reforms. What type of electoral  reform  are you talking about? We have one of the most democratic  constitution in the region."

In a separate statement Tuesday, Mnangagwa said he was also going to investigate the relationship between the UK and teachers' unions.

"Zimbabwe is a sovereign state that has since independence from colonial rule in 1980, not even affiliated to the Commonwealth, a body it voluntarily quit over differences related to her just land Reform Programme equally, civic groups and teachers employed by the Zimbabwean government to work here in Zimbabwe are not employees of the British government, whether by contract or by remuneration.

"Their activities, singly or in combination, have nothing to do with the British government for that matter.

"Because of this brazen, self-confessed violation of our sovereignty and threat to our national Security and Stability by the British government, my government will institute a full and thorough investigation into this very grave matter."