from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) held talks aimed at ending friction between the two liberation movements.
The meeting commenced on Wednesday in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare, weeks after a fallout between the two parties following the political problems in Zimbabwe.
Meetings were held behind closed doors.
“We are going to have a meeting with ZANU-PF to discuss various issues,” ANC Secretary-General, Ace Magashule, said ahead of the meetings.
“We are looking forward to fruitful and constructive engagements between our two sister parties.”
Magashule recently came under criticism from ZANU-PF after alluding to the crisis in Zimbabwe where opposition and human rights activists have been under a series of arrests by authorities.
His comments triggered an outburst from Harare, which accused South Africa’s government of xenophobia and excesses by the military during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
South Africa also came under ZANU-PF criticism for offering refuge to members of a ZANU-PF faction that are allegedly evading prosecution for corruption.
ZANU—PF has downplayed the animosity with ANC.
Patrick Chinamasa, the ZANU-PF acting spokesperson, said the two parties had a shared history and faced similar threats from detractors that wanted to “manufacture” a non-existent crisis in the region.
The ANC delegation that arrived in Harare on Tuesday includes Magashule, Gwede Mantashe, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Tony Yengeni, Lindiwe Zulu and Enoch Godongwana.
– CAJ News