South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has been accused of attempting to destabilise neighbouring Zimbabwe through funding President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s fierce rival and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.
The Star is reporting that the Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Organization is investigating evidence that Ramaphosa is funding Nelson Chamisa.
The news comes as ANC Chairperson Gwede Mantashe blasted Zanu PF for blackmailing the ANC.
Mantashe’s statements came after Zanu PF Director of Information Tawanda Mugwadi threatened to leak the purpose of the ANC delegation’s visit to Zimbabwe in September last year if the ANC doesn’t reign in SABC Foreign Editor Sophie Mokoena whom they accused of publishing fake news to tarnish the image of Mnangagwa.
A top Zanu PF official is reported to have told The News Hawks that ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule openly admitted to them that he is planning to “deal” with Ramaphosa. The purpose of the meeting is reported to have been an attempt by an ANC faction led by Magashule to gather support from Zanu PF.
“You can’t always have a neighbour that is always blackmailing you. This relationship with Zimbabwe (ZANU PF) is always filled with threats and blackmail. I don’t like that. If ZANU PF wants to spill that beans on our meeting with them they just must. I am eager to hear what they want to spill,” Mantashe said
During the meeting, it was agreed that Zimbabwe’s situation was not a crisis and not urgent.
Zanu PF is reported to have asked ANC to silence Malema who was attacking and threatening to mobilise South Africans to block Zimbabwe officials from attending meetings in South Africa. The ANC objected to the accusation, stating that Malema cannot be unlawfully stopped in a democracy.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe and South Africa’s diplomatic relationship is being shaken by clashes between Zanu PF and ANC.
President Ramaphosa dared Mugwadi to drop the bombshell.
Ramaphosa was speaking to SABC as ANC marked its 109th anniversary.
“In relation to Zimbabwe, I don’t know what the representative of Zanu-PF was talking about. I’m sure he will be willing to share all that with the ANC and with all of us. We sent a delegation, as the African National Congress, to Zimbabwe because Zanu-PF is a sister party to us.
“We have deep and strong links with Zanu-PF and it [the trip] was to express concern and also to find out what’s happening and to see the extent to which we can either be supportive and to fully understand what is happening. So as far as we are concerned there is nothing amiss and there is nothing we could say we have to hide.
“At the government level, I appointed three envoys who went to Zimbabwe and we continue to interact with Zimbabwe, and I am also in contact with President Mnangagwa on an ongoing basis,” Ramaphosa said.