South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) delegation would be returning to Zimbabwe at the end of September to meet other stakeholders over the country’s prolonged crisis, Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume said he was informed by his sources.
The opposition leader recently incarcerated for 43 days after calling for anti-government protests made the claims during an interview with the SABC on Wednesday night.
According to ZimLive.com, the meeting held on Wednesday between ZANU PF and the ANC delegation was essentially to get the former to accept South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempts to mediate in the crisis.
ZANU PF would reportedly maintain its hard-line stance of denying the opposition an audience with the ANC, which it would accede to down the line.
Head of delegation Elias “Ace” Magashule told reporters that they had received meeting requests from the MDC Alliance, civil society organisations, a union of journalists and the United States ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols. He said:
We have received some requests to meet other stakeholders from Zimbabwe like the opposition parties Simba Makoni (Mavambo/Kusile), the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU), Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, MDC Alliance, as well as United States ambassador to Zimbabwe.
But we felt that, together with Zanu PF, that indeed there is no problem meeting with the structures and therefore we are going to make arrangements to once more come back and meet with these organisations.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa insists that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe, despite a high rate of inflation which is hovering above 800 per cent, half of the population is in need of food aid, and millions of Zimbabweans have crossed the border to eke out a living in neighbouring countries.