Mashaba has called for the international community to sanction Zanu-PF leaders.
President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa. Picture: Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP.
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba believes the latest assault on democracy in Zimbabwe will lead to more Zimbabweans fleeing to South Africa for a better life.
This comes after reports that Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed constitutional amendments into law that prolong his stay in office and delay the general elections until 2030.
Mnangagwa’s party has been in power in that country for over 40 years, and he is one of the continent’s oldest serving statesmen at 83 years old.
Speaking to The Citizen on Wednesday, Mashaba said South Africa is already carrying the burden of a huge number of Zimbabweans who have fled their country because of economic survival and human rights issues.
“There is no doubt about that, we are going to see more and more Zimbabweans coming to South Africa,” he said.
Zunu-PF’s cling to power
Mashaba said he is shocked at the brazen power grab in Zimbabwe, describing Zanu-PF and its leaders as “very evil.”
“I call them evil people because of the way that they have treated their citizens over the last 40 years. They have treated their people in an unfortunate way.
“I would really like to call on the international community to hold Zimbabwe accountable, because as long as they are not able to hold free and fair elections, that country will never come right.
“Zimbabwe requires free and fair elections, which should be supervised by the international community,” he said.
Mashaba further called on the international community and Western powers to sanction Zimbabwe for what he described as an assault on democracy.
“They must put more pressure and sanction Zanu-PF and their leaders,” he said.
SA’s reaction to instability in Zimbabwe
Mashaba said he is disappointed at the inaction of Cyril Ramaphosa’s government in challenging the injustices in Zimbabwe.
“The ANC has never cared about the advancement of black people; the DA also does not care about poor black people.”
Mashaba further criticised the ANC for their prolonged support for Zanu-PF and their silence as the former liberation party continues to reign undisturbed for four decades.
“This is so disappointing when South Africa is sitting with over two million Zimbabweans. This country also has a high unemployment rate among its own citizens. For the ANC and our government to continue having cordial relations, Zanu-PF is unfortunate,” he said.
A permanent government?
The EFF has also raised concerns with Mnangagwa’s prolonged stay in office and the delay of elections, accusing Zanu‑PF of treating its citizens as though they owe it perpetual loyalty.
“No liberation movement acquires a permanent entitlement to govern simply because of its historic role in defeating colonialism. The legitimacy won on the battlefield must continually be renewed through the democratic consent of the people,” the party said.
Ruling through brute force
Meanwhile, DA spokesperson on international relations, Ryan Smith, says the extension of the Zimbabwean president’s term of office is merely a further consolidation of the existing “dictatorship.”
“There hasn’t been democracy in Zimbabwe for decades, and the Zanu-PF is only ensuring that the status quo persists so it can rule the country through brute force and extract its wealth through further corruption.
“All while the ANC continues to watch and applaud them. We should not be tolerating this. But again, because the ANC benefits somehow from its relationship with the Zanu-PF, our foreign policy abandons constitutional principle and turns a blind eye to human rights abuses just next door,” Smith told The Citizen.
A collapsed country
Political analyst Andre Duvenhage said the latest development in Zimbabwe indicates that the country is not close to becoming democratic and prosperous.
“They were once the food basket of Southern Africa, now they are a country in total poverty and the fact that more than two million of their citizens are in South Africa is telling of the situation there,” he said.
Duvenhage said he also does not think the ANC will challenge Zanu-PF’s continued rule
. According to the ANC policy on international affairs, the party believes in allowing countries to come up with their own solutions to the problems they face.
