President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned ZANU PF members against undermining the party leadership, particularly the Presidium, at national events, including the burials of national heroes at the National Heroes Acre.

During an interactive meeting with selected editors from both public and private media at State House on Monday, Mnangagwa said discipline is a fundamental value for ZANU PF’s survival. He stressed that every member is responsible for maintaining this discipline. He said (via Chronicle):

I am so happy; this is the vibrancy of democracy. The foolish and the wise both have their day. I think those who really are ZANU PF at heart go by the rules and decorum of ZANU PF.

We have other people who are in ZANU PF, who in themselves are not ZANU PF, but they dress in ZANU PF regalia, so you must always see when people talk and see which camp they belong to when they open their mouths.

Mnangagwa also condemned the United States for imposing sanctions on South Africa over its land reform policy.

He said the sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration would not weaken the region but, instead, would strengthen Pretoria and encourage the entire region to work harder. Said Mnangagwa:

I can assure you that those who impose sanctions on other countries should have learnt a lesson. Zimbabwe’s growth was faster when we were under sanctions than before sanctions.

So, if you want an economy to grow faster, impose sanctions. So, we are a good lesson, we have developed and grown our economy under sanctions and I do not think that South Africa would be an exception.

South Africa is a solid country with a solid economy based on its resources and I believe that the people of South Africa are rooted in South Africa themselves.

The outside world can only assist what the South Africans themselves can do for their country. So do not lose sleep about people imposing sanctions on others.

Mnangagwa also expressed concern over the country’s capacity to respond to health emergencies, particularly road accidents, following the viral spread of images showing health officials using cardboard boxes to support and stabilize fractures. He said:

That was a sad situation when I saw it. We must make sure we correct that. I saw it in the media. I am happy that the media exposed such weaknesses, so we must address that immediately.

The pictures circulated following an accident last Thursday that claimed 25 lives when an Urban Connect intercity bus collided head-on with an Auro Transport commercial truck, 21 km north of Beitbridge Town.