The ruling ZANU PF has not taken kindly to censure by South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Appearing on an interview with eNCA recently, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule criticised the Zimbabwean government for brutalising citizens before and after the foiled July 31 protests. Magashule said:
We have talked to some of the people who were exiled from Zimbabwe, who ran away from Zimbabwe, we have interacted with them, we know their story, we have heard them. What we see there on Television is uncalled for …. and that Zimbabwean Lives Matter.
However, in a statement on Thursday, the ZANU PF Information and Publicity Department issued out a strong-worded statement denouncing Magashule. The statement read in part:
We note that this is not the first time when a senior ANC leader has sought to speak like Zimbabwe’s prefect in similar fashion Cde Lindiwe Zulu’s similar utterances in 2013.
ZANU PF further lashed out at Magashule, saying his utterances were completely out of order.
It vehemently denied that there was any form of brutality taking place in Zimbabwe and dismissed exiled former government officials as fugitives from justice.
The Zimbabwean government has come under fire recently after several protestors were arrested for protesting peacefully while others were unfairly denied bail.
Several others have fled their homes following reports of suspected state agents moving at night and knocking down doors of known activists.