I speak to Ramaphosa every night, there’ll be no SA mediation in Zim: Mnangagwa

By Fani Maphosa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa says talk of a crisis in Zimbabwe only exists in the minds of the opposition and attempts to have South Africa mediate are a pipe dream.

Mnangagwa told the Zanu PF Central Committee on Friday that he has received the reassurance of South Africa through constant communication with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa whom he speaks to daily.

The Zanu PF Central Committee was meeting for the first time in several months with five representatives from each province making up a total of 50 members, due Covid-19 regulations.

Mnangagwa spoke as the ruling party was said to have been put under the hammer by a six-member ANC delegation that visited Harare last week to ascertain the situation in the country.

The ANC delegation dispatched by Ramaphosa was said to have been critical of government’s crackdown on critics, the country’s continued economic meltdown, human rights violations, abductions and arbitrary arrests.

However, Mnangagwa maintained that the ruling party’s relationship with other sister liberation parties was being put to the test by social media detractors.

“There have been falsehoods and malicious propaganda campaigns by detractors through media platforms but the party has remained focused,” he said.

“…The crisis exists in their mind. We have challenges like other countries. We will not seek outside mediation to come and deal with the challenges they also have.”

“…We can never be shaken by social media. We have elements peddling falsehoods that ZANU PF and ANC are not in good books. Yet I chat with President Ramaphosa almost daily,” Mnangagwa added.

He urged Zanu PF to remain steadfast and focused as “no one will remove us.”

He insisted, his administration is producing servant and listening leadership.

“Through my direct interventions macroeconomics is stabilising. Government taking measures to deal with mobile networks involved in criminal dealings,” he said.

Mnangagwa spoke as MDC Alliance vice president Tendai Biti earlier this week lashed out at the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) saying the central bank, through undue pressure from the government, is rigging the exchange rate.

Biti, who was also Finance minister in the Government of National Unity, intimated that in efforts to rig the plunging Zimdollar the RBZ, in collusion with other government bureaucrats in the Finance ministry, was under instruction to keep the minting machine at Fidelity Printers rolling.

The former Finance minister questioned why there continued to be no convergence between the parallel and official exchange rates with regards to the real value of the Zimdollar vis-a-viz the United States dollar.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor on Friday said South Africa’s intervention in Zimbabwe can only happen at the request of the Government of Zimbabwe. Zim Morning Post