News / National
ANC throws weight behind Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF
29 Jan 2019 at 23:27hrs | Views
President Mnangagwa and his deputies - Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi - last night met an African National Congress (ANC) delegation from South Africa and apprised it on the situation here following violent MDC-Alliance-sponsored demonstrations which left a trail of destruction.
Members of the ANC delegation arrived on Monday to meet with their Zimbabwean counterparts on a solidarity visit, which has the blessings of other regional liberation movements.
South Africa's ruling party is throwing its weight behind Zanu-PF and is keen to assist the latter in light of economic challenges and attempts to isolate the country in the international community on the back of pressure by the local opposition and its allies abroad. Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu last night confirmed the meeting.
"It was a courtesy call on the President. The President had to update the delegation right from the time the new dispensation came in; the road travelled until last week's violent demonstration which saw MDC and its allies destroying infrastructure and blockading free movement of traffic and people under the guise that they were protesting the fuel price hikes," Mpofu said.
"It was a solidarity fraternal meeting by sister parties," he said.
The South African team, led by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, included senior ANC officials like Tony Yengeni, Thoko Didiza and Bongani Nongo, who are all ANC Central Committee members and Justice Phitso, the chief-of-staff in the secretary-general's office.
In an address earlier at Zanu-PF Headquarters, Magashule applauded President Mnangagwa for giving them the opportunity to interact with their counterparts.
"This our solidarity visit to Zanu-PF, to Zimbabweans. We undertake this visit because of the present situation we have observed at a distance.
"And as former liberation movements, I think we have agreed that this is the time to consolidate and strengthen our relationship. In fact, before we left we set down with his Excellency our President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and our various committees to understand (our mandate)," he said.
"You (Mpofu) have indicated that Zimbabwe is faced with this well calculated, well planned activities of insurrection, of ungovernability. We want to understand so that when we look as to what is the way forward we have comprehended.
"We clearly understand the situation on the ground which is affecting your country and we want to move forward as former liberation movements in addressing your situation. I am sure we are here to engage, listen, retreat, share, experience, learn and to move forward together."
In a press briefing later in the evening, Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the two parties agreed that there was no legitimacy issue surrounding the Presidency in Zimbabwe as the country had held peaceful and credible elections last July.
"The parties therefore resolved: that the parties acknowledge the peaceful and credible manner in which the July 30, 2018 harmonised elections were conducted and the subsequent deserving endorsement of the election results by the regional and international observer groups including the landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe hence there is no legitimacy issue surrounding the Presidency.
"That the parties continue working in common purpose towards strengthening their existing excellent relations. That the parties acknowledge that the major challenges confronting Zimbabwe are a result of the illegal sanctions imposed by Britain and her allies over the bilateral dispute between Zimbabwe and the former over the land reform programme. The parties further call upon Sadc and the African Union to advocate for the removal of the sanctions," Moyo said.
While receiving the ANC delegation in the morning, Mpofu said they the two parties were joined by a very rich revolutionary background which culminated in their people being emancipated from the tentacles of oppression and subjugation over many years.
"Our long walk to freedom as stated by your founding father Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela still continues. As Zimbabwe we have achieved one milestone in this journey of emancipation by ensuring that we take ownership of the land.
"This precious resource which is very dear and sentimental to all Africans should not be taken for granted," he said.
Magashule said former liberation movements in the region were aware that ANC and Zanu-PF were meeting yesterday since he had informed them.
"And later on as we move forward, we want to move forward as former liberation movements in addressing your situation. So we are here as friends, as brothers and sisters, as mothers and fathers, comrades, former liberation movements and revolutionaries of yesteryear. We still share and the struggle continues," he said.
He said they were going to report back to their country and will return back to Zimbabwe at a later stage on the way forward. "I am sure we are here to engage and try to understand the situation. Be as open as possible, be frank with us so that we diagnose the situation correctly.
"It's better to hear from the horse's mouth and that is why we are here," Magashule said.
Mpofu said Zimbabwe was now in second revolution to achieve economic emancipation and they had deliberately set themselves on a new trajectory to achieve an upper middle income economy by the year 2030.
"The journey for this economic thrust is also mired and punctuated by anti-establishment forces which are pervasive and will never rest till they achieve the continued suffering of all our people in Africa and all our marginalised friends who still suffer in perpetuity in Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba and Saharawi.
"In our region we are confronted by forces of regime change being peddled by the United States of America and its allies," Mpofu said.
He said as former liberation movements there were under the onslaught from neo-colonialists forces that were financing opposition parties and civil society to foster regime change.
"This is being manifested through different forms and shapes like through social media, non-governmental organisations, labour movements to the extent of arming our citizens.
"In the same vain some of these establishment forces are starting to sprout in South Africa namely formations like Tajamuka, Africa Democrats and the Communist Party of Zimbabwe all of which are not legally registered political organisations in Zimbabwe and are bent on fermenting violence and acts of terrorism.
"We therefore urge comrades, that you cast your cautionary eye on this malcontents bent on the destabilisation of the region," Mpofu said.
He said as Zanu-PF, they were bombarded by a plethora of subversive strategies which include illegal sanctions, insurrection and instigation of citizens to conduct violent protests, wanton destruction of property and ensuring that the country becomes ungovernable.
"We have had loss of lives in the recently ended national elections and the MDC-Alliance sponsored mass stay away which took place in the past weeks. We are assured and still have confidence in you the ANC as our former liberation movement sister party in your continued solidarity and moral support to make the international community realize that the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are not sustainable and only lead to the suffering of the poorest to the poor," he said.
Mpofu said the ruling party appreciates the efforts of ANC in ensuring that all former liberation movements stay on the path to economic freedom. The meeting was also attended by Zanu-PF Politburo members and directors at the party headquarters.
Members of the ANC delegation arrived on Monday to meet with their Zimbabwean counterparts on a solidarity visit, which has the blessings of other regional liberation movements.
South Africa's ruling party is throwing its weight behind Zanu-PF and is keen to assist the latter in light of economic challenges and attempts to isolate the country in the international community on the back of pressure by the local opposition and its allies abroad. Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu last night confirmed the meeting.
"It was a courtesy call on the President. The President had to update the delegation right from the time the new dispensation came in; the road travelled until last week's violent demonstration which saw MDC and its allies destroying infrastructure and blockading free movement of traffic and people under the guise that they were protesting the fuel price hikes," Mpofu said.
"It was a solidarity fraternal meeting by sister parties," he said.
The South African team, led by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, included senior ANC officials like Tony Yengeni, Thoko Didiza and Bongani Nongo, who are all ANC Central Committee members and Justice Phitso, the chief-of-staff in the secretary-general's office.
In an address earlier at Zanu-PF Headquarters, Magashule applauded President Mnangagwa for giving them the opportunity to interact with their counterparts.
"This our solidarity visit to Zanu-PF, to Zimbabweans. We undertake this visit because of the present situation we have observed at a distance.
"And as former liberation movements, I think we have agreed that this is the time to consolidate and strengthen our relationship. In fact, before we left we set down with his Excellency our President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and our various committees to understand (our mandate)," he said.
"You (Mpofu) have indicated that Zimbabwe is faced with this well calculated, well planned activities of insurrection, of ungovernability. We want to understand so that when we look as to what is the way forward we have comprehended.
"We clearly understand the situation on the ground which is affecting your country and we want to move forward as former liberation movements in addressing your situation. I am sure we are here to engage, listen, retreat, share, experience, learn and to move forward together."
In a press briefing later in the evening, Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the two parties agreed that there was no legitimacy issue surrounding the Presidency in Zimbabwe as the country had held peaceful and credible elections last July.
"The parties therefore resolved: that the parties acknowledge the peaceful and credible manner in which the July 30, 2018 harmonised elections were conducted and the subsequent deserving endorsement of the election results by the regional and international observer groups including the landmark ruling by the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe hence there is no legitimacy issue surrounding the Presidency.
"That the parties continue working in common purpose towards strengthening their existing excellent relations. That the parties acknowledge that the major challenges confronting Zimbabwe are a result of the illegal sanctions imposed by Britain and her allies over the bilateral dispute between Zimbabwe and the former over the land reform programme. The parties further call upon Sadc and the African Union to advocate for the removal of the sanctions," Moyo said.
While receiving the ANC delegation in the morning, Mpofu said they the two parties were joined by a very rich revolutionary background which culminated in their people being emancipated from the tentacles of oppression and subjugation over many years.
"Our long walk to freedom as stated by your founding father Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela still continues. As Zimbabwe we have achieved one milestone in this journey of emancipation by ensuring that we take ownership of the land.
"This precious resource which is very dear and sentimental to all Africans should not be taken for granted," he said.
Magashule said former liberation movements in the region were aware that ANC and Zanu-PF were meeting yesterday since he had informed them.
"And later on as we move forward, we want to move forward as former liberation movements in addressing your situation. So we are here as friends, as brothers and sisters, as mothers and fathers, comrades, former liberation movements and revolutionaries of yesteryear. We still share and the struggle continues," he said.
He said they were going to report back to their country and will return back to Zimbabwe at a later stage on the way forward. "I am sure we are here to engage and try to understand the situation. Be as open as possible, be frank with us so that we diagnose the situation correctly.
"It's better to hear from the horse's mouth and that is why we are here," Magashule said.
Mpofu said Zimbabwe was now in second revolution to achieve economic emancipation and they had deliberately set themselves on a new trajectory to achieve an upper middle income economy by the year 2030.
"The journey for this economic thrust is also mired and punctuated by anti-establishment forces which are pervasive and will never rest till they achieve the continued suffering of all our people in Africa and all our marginalised friends who still suffer in perpetuity in Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba and Saharawi.
"In our region we are confronted by forces of regime change being peddled by the United States of America and its allies," Mpofu said.
He said as former liberation movements there were under the onslaught from neo-colonialists forces that were financing opposition parties and civil society to foster regime change.
"This is being manifested through different forms and shapes like through social media, non-governmental organisations, labour movements to the extent of arming our citizens.
"In the same vain some of these establishment forces are starting to sprout in South Africa namely formations like Tajamuka, Africa Democrats and the Communist Party of Zimbabwe all of which are not legally registered political organisations in Zimbabwe and are bent on fermenting violence and acts of terrorism.
"We therefore urge comrades, that you cast your cautionary eye on this malcontents bent on the destabilisation of the region," Mpofu said.
He said as Zanu-PF, they were bombarded by a plethora of subversive strategies which include illegal sanctions, insurrection and instigation of citizens to conduct violent protests, wanton destruction of property and ensuring that the country becomes ungovernable.
"We have had loss of lives in the recently ended national elections and the MDC-Alliance sponsored mass stay away which took place in the past weeks. We are assured and still have confidence in you the ANC as our former liberation movement sister party in your continued solidarity and moral support to make the international community realize that the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are not sustainable and only lead to the suffering of the poorest to the poor," he said.
Mpofu said the ruling party appreciates the efforts of ANC in ensuring that all former liberation movements stay on the path to economic freedom. The meeting was also attended by Zanu-PF Politburo members and directors at the party headquarters.
Source - The Herald
