Zimbabwean ‘Tea Summit’ a total failure, Ramaphosa himself must go
11 August 2020
The decision by the Zimbabwean government to deny President Cyril Ramphosa’s envoys an opportunity to meet with opposition leaders was not only disrespectful to the office of the African Union Chairperson, which Ramaphosa currently holds, but seems to confirm that the voices of the opposition and civil society are being muzzled in Zimbabwe.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) now calls on President Ramaphosa, in his capacity as AU Chairperson, to show leadership and go to Harare and meet with all the relevant stakeholders and get a balanced picture of the political crisis unfolding in the country.
Media reports indicate that Sydney Mufamadi, BalekaMbethe, and NgoakoRamathlodi were hosted to a ‘tea briefing’ by Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa then told the envoys that ‘there was no crisis in Zimbabwe’ and hence no need to meet with the opposition or civil society.
The envoys had made plans to meet with the opposition and had to cancel them at the last minute because of Mnangagwa’s strong-arming tactics. This is unacceptable.