‘ANC, Zanu-PF ties as good as ever’ || The Southern Times

Johannesburg - Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr David Hamadziripi, has dismissed claims that the recent chaos at Beitbridge Border Post was a result of strained relations between the two countries’ ruling parties, Zanu-PF and ANC respectively.

Ambassador Hamadziripi told The Southern Times that there was nothing political about what happened at the border post as purported by some media organisations.

Last week South Africa’s national broadcaster SABC carried a story under the headline “Beitbridge closure highlighting cracks in ANC, Zanu-PF relations?”

SABC reported that “many Zimbabweans who depend on coming to SA for economic activity will have to wait a while longer until the government reviews the decision announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday night,” in reference to the closure of the inland port as a COVID-19 control measure.

Prior to that, a Zanu-PF official had threatened to reveal what he claimed were the real reasons for a visit by an ANC delegation that had purportedly travelled to Zimbabwe to probe allegations of state-sponsored human rights abuses against the political opposition.

The threats triggered responses by senior ANC officials, in their individual capacities, to the effect that the relationship between the sister liberation movements was strained.

Zanu-PF was quick to issue a statement saying its relationship with the ANC was solid and could not be determined by individuals.

And this week Ambassador Hamadziripi said, “Each and every country has laws and regulations concerning entry into its territory by non-nationals. If a foreigner does not meet those laws and regulations, then the concerned country has the right to deny that individual entry into its territory. I don't see how the application of this universal practice reflects on the state of the relations between two countries' ruling parties.”

Political analyst Munya Njobo also said there could be no logical link between the border issue and the ANC and Zanu-PF relationship.

“Sometimes journalists have a tendency of creating news. This very story I think is a result of created news. There is no logic to link these events. Zanu-PF and ANC did not create the second wave that both countries are trying to control hence to say the border was closed because they are not in good books is a mere mislead to the world,” said Njobo.

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