Zanu-PF blasts Zuma's advisor

SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma's International Relations advisor Ms Lindiwe Zulu has no role in Zimbabwean politics and cannot dictate when the country should hold elections, Zanu-PF political analysts have said.

Ms Zulu was quoted in the media as saying preparations for the July 31 harmonised elections in Zimbabwe were 'not looking good'.

"We are concerned because things on the ground are not looking good," she said.

Political scientist and Zanu-PF Politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo said it was clear Ms Zulu was an MDC-T sympathiser as she was "echoing" the sentiments of the MDC-T.

He said election observers who came for the July 31 polls were better placed to comment on the situation on the ground.

"MDC-T sympathisers and supporters in President Zuma's facilitation team are now coming out of their closets to openly show their support for the MDC-T by foolishly claiming that the situation on the ground is not looking good," he said.

"Fortunately for us, the elections are being held in terms of the rule of law. Observers on the ground who have been in the country since the processes started are better placed to make rational and sensible comments about the situation on the ground than Lindiwe Zulu."

Prof Moyo said if President Zuma authorised Ms Zulu to make such statements then the facilitation team had effectively disqualified itself as an impartial mediation and facilitation team.

"If that is true then they risk being permanently ignored and irrelevant. If they keep playing games then irrelevance shall come sooner than they imagine. It is undiplomatic for communication between heads of States to be peddled in the newspapers," he said.

Bindura University of Science Education lecturer Mr Bowden Mbanje said it was clear Ms Zulu was pushing the MDC-T agenda.
"She has been friends with most MDC-T persons like Grace Kwinjeh and coming from a donor funded country, her statements are not surprising. We also blame President Zuma for not warning her because this is not the first time that she is making stupid statements. If Zuma fails to warn her then it means he is part and parcel of the MDC-T agenda but one reality on the ground is Zimbabwe is heading for elections without fail in a few days time. They are just wasting their time," he said.

This is not the first time Ms Zulu has come under fire from Zimbabweans as she has attacked the leadership and at the same time siding with the MDC-T.
Launching the Zanu-PF manifesto recently President Mugabe described Ms Zulu as a "stupid and idiotic woman" adding that she had no authority to comment on Zimbabwean affairs.

University of Zimbabwe lecturer Dr Charity Manyeruke said Ms Zulu should leave Zimbabwean politics to Zimbabweans.
"It seems she is a mafikizolo in politics and she needs to be schooled in politics of other countries," Dr Manyeruke said.

"She has never been here to see the situation on the ground but she is relying on tweets from the MDC-T and other hostile media reports. It is us who know what is happening."

Dr Manyeruke said the Constitutional Court had ruled that elections should go ahead on July 31 and this was irreversible.
"The leaders have agreed to that and this is what we call the rule of law," she said.

"The law has been respected and even Sadc referred the issue to the courts because they know that the laws of any country are supreme."