‘SA envoys welcome . . . Malema, Khama offside’
SPECIAL envoys appointed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to embark on a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe are welcome as the administration in Harare has nothing to hide, but characters such as Mr Julius Malema and former Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama have no grounds to interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal matters, a senior official has said.
President Ramaphosa last week appointed former South African Speaker of Parliament Baleka Mbete and ex-Cabinet minister Dr Sydney Mufamadi as special emissaries to Zimbabwe and tasked them with understanding “the difficulties that the country is facing” in the wake of unconfirmed human rights violation reports peddled by the opposition and anti-Government political activists.
Mr Malema, who is the leader of South Africa’s opposition party, Economic Freedom Front, and Mr Khama, who is now an opposition activist in his country, have been making noise in support of the anti-Zimbabwe campaign, which is being backed by Western detractors.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) secretary-general Cde Victor Matemadanda said President Ramaphosa had done the right thing by dispatching emissaries before commenting on the situation in Zimbabwe.
“We have a very good camaraderie with the ANC. In terms of the South African Government, we appreciate that they set up a fact finding mission that is going to put the record straight,” he said.
“They want to appreciate and understand what is going on before they comment. As Zimbabwe, we know that we have nothing to hide.
“We expect that if it is found that these people are lying, action must be taken against them so that we bring sanity to the region.”
Cde Matemadanda, who is deputy Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs as well as Zanu PF national commissar, said South Africa and Zimbabwe share strong historical links through their respective liberation movements.
He said in commenting about Zimbabwe without facts, Mr Malema has exposed his naivety as a politician.
Cde Matemadanda said Mr Malema was closely associated with members of the G40 faction who are hiding in South Africa and are behind the recent anti-Zimbabwe campaign in the neighbouring country.
“We know where Malema’s bread is buttered. South Africa has complained to the New Dispensation that Malema was given funding by some Zimbabweans to form EFF. So his comments are based on myopic thinking,” he said.
Cde Matemadanda pulled no punches in attacking Mr Khama who has been posting social media messages denigrating Zimbabwe.
“All this hype about failed former Botswana leader Khama, the one who has even failed to get a wife for himself, thinks he can pronounce himself on Zimbabwe. He failed as a President thinking that the Batswana were foolish and now he wants to be involved in Zimbabwean politics. Zimbabwe cannot be dictated to by outsiders who choose to entertain fellow sell-outs, no we cannot accept that.”
Cde Matemadanda said Zimbabwe respects the sovereignty of other States and no one has the right to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.
He blasted the US Embassy in Harare. “# Zimbabwe an Lives Matter is being funded by people that created havoc in Iraq. America is very good at lying and they sponsor anarchy,” said Cde Matemadanda.
“The world was made to believe that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The hype just died a natural death after they (US) killed a State President.
“They went scot free. They created the same lie in Libya to kill Muammar Gaddafi. America is not a peace making nation, it is concerned and worried only about its own interests.
“We go for elections after every five years in Zimbabwe and no party has been denied a right to contest.
“The people choose the party that they want. We know of an election in America that was decided by five judges. One wonders what could have happened.”