Zim not on Sadc agenda — Govt
ZIMBABWE is not on the agenda of the Sadc summit to be held next Monday, neither is it up for discussion before the African Union (AU) since there is no crisis to warrant its placement, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the coming of three envoys from South Africa was a peer to peer engagement between President Mnangagwa and his counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.
Briefing journalists yesterday, Minister Mutsvangwa said there has been false claims from several quarters that there was a crisis in Zimbabwe when that is all bottled smoke.
“All said there is no crisis in Zimbabwe which needs external intervention under established international treaties and conventions. It is important that we refute Press claims of a crisis in Zimbabwe. Crisis in diplomacy has specific and defined circumstances if that go beyond day to day banter,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
“It is common knowledge that there is no Zimbabwean issue before the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. Neither is there one such issue before the Sadc Summit. Definitely there is no such issue before the continental body, the African Union.”
On Monday, President Mnangagwa held a meeting with three envoys from President Ramaphosa who included former South African Minister of Safety and Security Dr Sydney Mufamadi, who was leading the team, the former Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and former Minister of Public Service and Administration Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi.
“This was at the peer to peer level of brotherly Heads of State of two sister nations that enjoy excellent diplomatic bilateral relations. The envoys brought in their message which was duly delivered to the host President. In return they received a briefing from President ED Mnangagwa. The reciprocal messages are the property of the respective leaders and it is their prerogative as to how they can be handled or disseminated,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said comments from some figures in the South African ruling party and irate remarks from its opposition ranks, should not be taken as the basis of creating perceptions or attributions of crisis in other nations.
The minister added that the country’s opposition us behind latest attempts to create a crisis when there is none.
She said an opposition which lost elections in 2018 after it had threatened not to accept elections results that did not declare them as winners is now on the prowl.
“The subjective opinions, be they from third part political entities, diplomatic circles are not the proper guide in the conduct of diplomacy among sovereignty and friendly nations,” she said.
Turning to compensation of former white farmers, Minister Mutsvangwa said the decision was not only a fulfilment of aspirations of Zimbabweans as expressed in the 2013 Constitutional referendum but was a basis of a Zanu-PF election manifesto which it campaigned and won in 2018 harmonised elections.
“Zanu-PF was elected inclusively on the basis of that political undertaking. Let it be also noted that the signing of the Global Compensation Agreement on the 27th of July 2020, was a fulfilment of the aspirations of the Zimbabwean people as expressed in the referendum of 16 March 2013. In that instance nearly 95 percent of the population endorsed the new Constitution with the quoted provisions therein,” she said.
The minister said compensating former white farmers did not in any way mean that Government was reversing the land reform programme.
“This mischief is purveyor by the loony and extreme right wing circles. Just that they camouflage with the mantle of left wing populism and infantile pan African radicalism,” she said.
She said Zanu-PF was a revolutionary party that fought a non-racial and just struggle for majority rule.
Turning on treatment of prisoners on remand, Minister Mutsvangwa said the country’s justice system was blind to political persuasion, rank, creed, race, social and political networks.
She said prisoners had a constitutional right to be protected from public health risks such as the coronavirus and that might include bringing in measures such as stopping or limiting the number of visitors and external items prisoners could have access to.
On the economic situation, Minister Mutsvangwa said the Second Republic has introduced a raft of measures to stabilize prices that include foreign exchange auction system which has brought relief to Zimbabweans.
“The opposition and their foreign handlers with their varying ignorance and mischief have been trying to create a psychosis of crisis. On the other side President Mnangagwa has been busy on a positive and rewarding trajectory much to the relief of the people of Zimbabwe. He has signed a raft of astute Statutory Instruments that have since tamed a Wild West jungle that was hitherto the monetary and foreign exchange markets,” she said.
The Sadc summit of heads of States and Governments is being held virtually because of the Covid-19 pandemic.