South African opposition politician Mmusi Maimane has criticised the African National Congress (ANC) for inviting Zimbabwe’s ZANU PF to campaign on its behalf ahead of the 29 May national and provincial elections.
ANC’s first deputy secretary-general, Nomvulo Mokonyane recently announced that South Africa’s ruling party had invited its Zimbabwean counterpart, ZANU PF, to campaign on its behalf, and participate as an observer mission during the elections.
Moreover, a recent report by The Herald claimed ZANU PF Secretary General Obert Mpofu said his party will not rule out sending teams to South Africa to assist the ANC.
However, Maimane, who leads Build One South Africa (BOSA), said ZANU PF has a track record of rigging elections, something the ANC should not seek to emulate or support. Said Maimane:
It is now widely accepted that ZANU PF rigs elections in Zimbabwe to favour itself and to continue its misrule of the country.
ZANU PF has used fear, intimidation, violence and suppression of and against the people of Zimbabwe.
It has presided over an autocratic, authoritarian and repressive regime, trampling on the democratic rights of Zimbabweans.
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Unsurprisingly, the ANC is a bedfellow of ZANU PF, considering it too is desperate to cling to power at any cost.
We reject this with the contempt it deserves and wish to tell ZANU PF they are not welcome in South Africa…
If ZANU PF continues to influence the ANC we will no longer have free and fair elections. They will learn bad tricks from ZANU PF. They do not even know how to count votes.
South Africa will hold elections on 29 May 2024, with nearly 28 million registered voters set to elect representatives to the national and provincial parliaments.
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