A University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure said that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s re-engagement efforts are almost dead in the water.
This follows remarks made by a United States of America State Department official who was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying:
The disappointment just keeps getting worse and worse, unfortunately. The government seems to be getting even more violent in their response to any form of opposition.
In an interview with the Daily News, Masunungure opined that it will be tough for President Mnangagwa to convince the West that things have changed for the better in Zimbabwe. He said:
The recent attack on demonstrators has invited a very tough stance from the US, which is hardening. As a result, the re-engagement process is now almost dead in the water.
ED (Mnangagwa) has to re-double his efforts if he is to succeed in this regard, but it will be very tough for him now to convince them (the West).
They are disappointed that he is perpetuating Mugabe’s policies.
An unnamed diplomat told the publication that the Western powers expect South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to push Harare for positive changes. Said the diplomat:
Ramaphosa is between a rock and a hard place. Inside his own country, things have not progressed as smoothly as he would have hoped.
Yet, there are expectations inside and outside the country that he can influence developments in Zimbabwe, and Western leaders, in particular, don’t understand why he is quiet on the worsening chaos next door.
South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is pushing Pretoria to speak on the worsening human rights situation in Zimbabwe. DA shadow minister for International Relations, Darren Bergman, said:
It is clear that things in our neighbouring country are getting progressively worse, and that … Mnangagwa’s administration is merely a continuation of … Mugabe’s era of repressive, violent brutality.
… South Africa cannot continue to remain silent in this matter, as we have a moral obligation to speak out against human rights abuses irrespective of historic ties to the offender.
The ANC government must put its loyalties to … Mnangagwa’s tyrannical dictatorship aside and put the interests of the Zimbabwean people first.