Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa rebuffed a South African attempt to help end his nation’s economic and political crisis, and downplayed the problems it’s facing, two people familiar with the matter said.
When the envoys noted that anti-government protests had been banned and scores of the state’s critics detained, Mnangagwa responded that large gatherings weren’t allowed because of the coronavirus and the arrests were an internal matter, the officials said. The envoys were also told they had no business interfering in Zimbabwean politics because they carried no brief from either the African Union or the Southern African Development Community, they said.
Clayson Monyela, a spokesman for South Africa’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation, referred requests for comment to the presidency. Tyrone Seale, Ramaphosa’s spokesman, said the envoys would brief the president this week. Mufamadi, a former local government minister, and Mbete, an ex-head of the National Assembly, didn’t answer calls to their mobile phones or respond to messages seeking comment.
Zimbabwe is now facing shortages of fuel and food, mass unemployment, a 737% inflation rate and a collapse in the value of its currency. At least 2 million Zimbabweans currently live in South Africa and fears are rising that a further deterioration of the economy could trigger a fresh wave of immigration.
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