Mutsvangwa slams attempts to draw parallels between Zimbabwe's and SA's land issues

Zanu-PF spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa has dismissed attempts by opposition members to draw parallels between Zimbabwe's and South Africa's land issues, warning against efforts to create tensions between Harare and Washington.

Speaking at a press conference held at the ruling party's headquarters yesterday, Ambassador Mutsvangwa accused the opposition of being "peevish" in their push for regime change in Zimbabwe. He argued that the land questions in the two countries were fundamentally different and should not be conflated.

"The South African land question has been treated as an internal matter between South Africans," Mutsvangwa said. "We have a different land problem. Ours was a colonial imperial land problem. There is a colonising power, Britain, which gave a charter to a private company, the British South Africa (BSA) Company, to come to Zimbabwe and start possessing land. So even when we fought, we knew the legitimacy of this country was impinged upon by Britain."

He explained that Zimbabwe's land issue has a colonial origin tied to London, unlike South Africa's, which he described as an "internal affair" involving Afrikaners, whom he considers fellow Africans.

Mutsvangwa accused opposition figures, including Tendai Biti, of attempting to involve the United States in Zimbabwe's affairs by drawing misleading comparisons with South Africa. He claimed these efforts were timed to coincide with the annual review of U.S. sanctions on Zimbabwe.

"Each time there is some issue in Washington about Africa, and the president of America is facing the prospect of having to renew the executive sanctions against Zimbabwe, a lot of excitement starts emanating from opposition circles in Zimbabwe," he said.

Mutsvangwa alleged that Biti and others recently convened a meeting at the U.S. Embassy in South Africa to discuss Zimbabwe's land issue, attempting to link it to South Africa's recent developments.

"They just want Zimbabwe on the yoke, they just want Zimbabwe to become the attention of the American president, gratuitously and unnecessarily," he said.

He further accused the opposition of seeking to "sneak into power" with the help of foreign support rather than through democratic elections.

The remarks come as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Land Expropriation Act into law, a significant step in Pretoria's efforts to address its land reform challenges. Mutsvangwa emphasized that Zimbabwe's land reform process, rooted in decolonization, should not be conflated with South Africa's internal policy moves.