The ruling Zanu PF government will not meddle in the ongoing disturbances happening in neighbouring South Africa where mass looting and protests have left over 70 people dead in the past week.
The protests ignited following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma last week have also led to the arrest of 1 700 people while bread, medicines, and fuel are now in short supply in some parts of the country.
However, Zanu PF Politburo member and former Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mbengegwi said despite the worrying disturbances in the neighbouring country, the ruling party would not involve itself in South Africa’s internal affairs.
“We in Zanu PF believe that sister political parties have got the capacity to deal with situations under their jurisdictions and if they need the assistance of Zanu PF there are ways of so indicating, and so when situations happen in sister countries or sister parties we have never rushed to interfere or intervene publicly,” he said.
Mbengegwi was speaking after a Zanu PF Politburo meeting held in Harare Wednesday.
“Should it be necessary then it can only be done at a very very fraternal and sisterly level with the intention of helping as opposed to what others may regard as seeking some approval from some other sources.
“When situations happen to our sister parties if we have anything to say at any level, even at a high level it is done in a brotherly and sisterly manner with the intention of helping the situation not aggravating it.”
South Africa is home to over two million Zimbabweans who have fled the country due to economic and political instability in Zimbabwe.
Last year, following the quashing by the army of anti-government protests and arrests of several activists, opposition politicians, and journalists in Zimbabwe, President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched a high-level delegation to Harare to meet senior Zanu PF officials.
There was a stand-off then between Zanu PF and ANC as Harare insisted there was no crisis in Zimbabwe.
Zanu PF officials also blocked the ANC delegation to meet senior opposition officials and activists, and the visitors left in a huff following the stand-off.
However, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo also told journalists that South Africa had indicated it had the capacity to deal with the disturbances.
“It was pleasing to note to a larger extent that the situation in South Africa was still within the capacity of our fraternal friends the ANC and its government to resolve and hopefully quell the chaos which has been reported in various media,” said Moyo.