TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA
South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) party has firmly rejected calls to change the venue of the upcoming 44th SADC Summit from Zimbabwe, despite concerns raised over the country's crackdown on activists and opposition figures.
The move comes as a response to the Democratic Alliance (DA), an opposition party in the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU) in South Africa, which had requested the summit's location be shifted from Zimbabwe arguing that the atmosphere in the country is too hostile to proceed with the summit.
ANC spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi however expressed the party's unwavering stance, stating that if there are any issues needing the region's attention in Zimbabwe, they should be addressed within the country, not by avoiding it altogether.
"The ANC does not agree with that stance [of changing the venue]," Godlimpi asserted.
"If there are any issues needing the region's attention in Zimbabwe, they would be discussed in Zimbabwe, not away from it."
Godlimpi's remarks underscored the ANC's belief that South Africa is not in "a position to run away from conflict" and that the summit will proceed as planned, with Zimbabwe successfully hosting the event.
The ANC's staunch defence of Zimbabwe's hosting role – as expected – comes in the face of a crackdown on activists and opposition politicians by the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa has vowed to clamp down on any attempts to incite violence ahead of the SADC Summit, which will see leaders from 16 countries convene in Harare.
"We will not allow mischief-makers to instigate violence," Mnangagwa declared during a recent address, signaling the state's readiness to quash any signs of protest aimed at challenging the legitimacy of the ZANU-PF-led government, which the opposition claims won the August 2023 elections fraudulently.
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