ANC in Zim risks questions over credibility

A high-level ANC delegation spent the entire day yesterday in a closed-door meeting with senior officials of the ruling Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe as Luthuli House attempted to twist Zanu-PF’s arm to agree to talk to the opposition and other parties to bring lasting peace in the country.

But political analyst Dr Somadoda Fikeni said any attempt by the ANC to broker peace in Zimbabwe would result in questions about credibility because of its solidarity partnership with Zanu-PF.

He said the ANC visit would send a message that Zanu-PF must reach out to other parties, but doubted if the ANC would succeed where the administrations of Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and now Cyril Ramaphosa had failed before.

ANC economic development subcommittee chair Enoch Godongwana said they were in a meeting with Zanu-PF late yesterday afternoon but could not give further details. ANC spokesperson on the trip, Dakota Legoete, could not be reached for comment

It is understood the ANC was using its close relationship with Zanu-PF to attempt to negotiate a truce which would result in the cessation of violence and police brutality in the country.

The ANC could have more influence on Zanu-PF than the SA government’s regular party-to-party talks with Zimbabwe.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was accompanied by Godongwana, Lindiwe Zulu and NEC members Nomvula Mokonyane and Tony Yengeni.

It was believed the ANC had had enough of the Zimbabwean conflict and was prepared to talk tough to the Zanu-PF leadership to enter into negotiations with the opposition for the sake of the Zimbabwean people.

Magashule indicated on his arrival in Harare they would first meet Zanu-PF and then other stakeholders. Although he did not elaborate, it is understood that among them would be opposition MDC, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union and other parties.

Fikeni said it was strange that the ANC, as a party with a liberation movement solidarity relationship with Zanu-PF, would initiate talks with the opposition.

“It will be difficult for them to reach out to other parties. Their initiative will suffer credibility in the eyes of the other parties,” he said.

However, said Fikeni, the ANC initiative would have sent a strong message to Zanu-PF it must put things right and start a dialogue with the opposition.

“They will try to say they must talk to each other. But where the South African government failed, I doubt if the ANC will succeed,” Fikeni said.