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Zanu-PF, ANC in 'abusive relationship'
13 Jan 2021 at 07:46hrs | Views
Gwede Mantashe, the chairman of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has clapped back at Zanu-PF, exposing a growing rift between the two allies.
Zanu-PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi sparked the latest row after claiming that an ANC delegation sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year to get an understanding of Zimbabwe's problems had a different agenda than the one declared publicly.
Mugwadi, who faces a Zanu-PF disciplinary hearing, had threatened to expose the primary agenda of an ANC delegation, thought to be a discredited claim that ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule asked for Zanu-PF's help to dislodge Ramaphosa.
"This relationship with Zimbabwe (Zanu-PF) is always filled with blackmail and threats. I don't like that," Mantashe told a South African radio station on Monday.
South Africa's finance minister Tito Mboweni picked up on Mantashe's comments, adding that Zanu-PF's relationship with the ANC was an "abusive" one.
"In fact, ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe should have said that the relationship is abusive! This must be stopped! It must end!" Mboweni wrote on Twitter.
The latest escalation follows a public apology to the ANC by former Zimbabwean ambassador to South Africa and Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo.
Khaya Moyo said Mugwadi's comments "do not in any way reflect the position of Zanu-PF."
"It (the statement) was issued without authorisation and must be dismissed with contempt," Khaya Moyo told the ZBC.
"The ANC of South Africa and Zanu-PF enjoy excellent and fraternal relations dating back to the days of our liberation struggle which continue blossoming up to this day. To suggest that the ANC delegation came to Zimbabwe with a hidden agenda is compound mischief, uninformed, unacceptable and unpatriotic."
On the occasion of ANC's 109th anniversary last week, Ramaphosa dared Mugwadi to share his "bombshell".
Mugwadi's "bombshell" threats were triggered by existing acrimony between him and SABC journalist Sophie Mokoena, who recently criticised the Zimbabwe government for its continued failure to stop the flow of migrants to South Africa.
Zanu-PF information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi sparked the latest row after claiming that an ANC delegation sent by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year to get an understanding of Zimbabwe's problems had a different agenda than the one declared publicly.
Mugwadi, who faces a Zanu-PF disciplinary hearing, had threatened to expose the primary agenda of an ANC delegation, thought to be a discredited claim that ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule asked for Zanu-PF's help to dislodge Ramaphosa.
"This relationship with Zimbabwe (Zanu-PF) is always filled with blackmail and threats. I don't like that," Mantashe told a South African radio station on Monday.
South Africa's finance minister Tito Mboweni picked up on Mantashe's comments, adding that Zanu-PF's relationship with the ANC was an "abusive" one.
"In fact, ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe should have said that the relationship is abusive! This must be stopped! It must end!" Mboweni wrote on Twitter.
Khaya Moyo said Mugwadi's comments "do not in any way reflect the position of Zanu-PF."
"It (the statement) was issued without authorisation and must be dismissed with contempt," Khaya Moyo told the ZBC.
"The ANC of South Africa and Zanu-PF enjoy excellent and fraternal relations dating back to the days of our liberation struggle which continue blossoming up to this day. To suggest that the ANC delegation came to Zimbabwe with a hidden agenda is compound mischief, uninformed, unacceptable and unpatriotic."
On the occasion of ANC's 109th anniversary last week, Ramaphosa dared Mugwadi to share his "bombshell".
Mugwadi's "bombshell" threats were triggered by existing acrimony between him and SABC journalist Sophie Mokoena, who recently criticised the Zimbabwe government for its continued failure to stop the flow of migrants to South Africa.
Source - zimlive
