Zanu-PF hopes Pretoria and Washington find each other and mend relations

National spokesperson of Zimbabwe's ruling party, Zanu-PF, Christopher Mutsvangwa has expressed his party's support as South Africa seeks to fix bilateral relations with the United States led by President Donald Trump.

Addressing a media briefing in Harare on Tuesday, alongside Zanu-PF director of information Farai Marupira, Mutsvangwa added that he hopes South Africans would not be divided on racial lines during this era.

"As a diplomat, I am an ambassador, and I usually refrain from getting into the diplomatic issues of other countries. Our hope is that Pretoria/Tshwane and Washington eventually find each other and establish the rapport of state-to-state relations which makes for progress," said Mutsvangwa, who is Zimbabwe's former ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

"Along the way, I also hope that all South Africans aspire for a common destiny. If you have acquired influence, we are so happy about you and we only hope that you use the influence which you have acquired on the global stage particularly in an important city like Washington for the positive of Africa."
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.

Mutsvangwa made the remarks with regards to the ongoing ructions in South Africa, where Afrikaner lobby groups including AfriForum and Solidarity Movement have been widely accused using their influence in Washington to influence sanctions in different forms against South Africa.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel.

Last week, IOL reported that the Solidarity Movement and AfriForum have rejected ongoing allegations from the African National Congress, where the ANC accused the lobby groups of spreading misinformation abroad.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa said he was concerned and disappointed with AfriForum and Solidarity, with both organisations having sent representatives to meet with United States government officials.

Mutsvangwa commented that the path of confrontation in bilateral relations, or amongst citizens of a nation, does not help.

"There should be enough room for gracious interaction between them (Afrikaners in South Africa) and the government of their country South Africa. This route of confrontation, we as Zimbabweans have travelled that route before and on each and every occasion we have seen it doesn't help.

"When we come to an accommodation, things go well, that is why our template in 1979, of elections of a liberation movement became the basis upon which South Africa acquired majority rule in 1994," said Mutsvangwa.

Last month, IOL reported that the United States is contemplating the resettlement of ethnic minority Afrikaners who they believe are experiencing unjust racial discrimination in South Africa. This update was released by the US Embassy in Pretoria.

"Consistent with President Trump's Executive Order on Addressing Egregious Actions of the Republic of South Africa, the US Department of State is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security and implementing partners to consider eligibility for US refugee resettlement for disfavored ethnic minority Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination," the embassy said at the time.