Mnangagwa must intervene on Zimbos attacks in SA- ZFTU

LABOUR federations have piled pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to spearhead a diplomatic offensive to engage his neighboring South Africa counterparts over the heartless xenophobic attacks against Zimbabweans.

The call has been prompted by rising tensions indicating the possibility of another xenophobic attacks wave seen in recent weeks which has prompted foreigners in SA to appeal for international attention.

Speaking to The Humanitarian Post after meeting with Mnangagwa redcently, Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) secretary general, Kennias Shamuyarira said he raised the issue as a matter of urgency.

“I highlighted to His Excellency that it is time our own Tripartite Negotiation Forum descended on South Africa’s similar social dialogue platform, National Economic Development and Labour Council, to address the actions of unjustified hate once and for all.

 “It is time Mnangagwa engaged his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa and issued instructions on the need to respect lives.

“We are however delighted by the fact that our president took heed of the issue and agreed that it’s a matter of State Power to Power which he will look into,” he said.

Shamuyarira highlighted that the matter urgently needs to be resolved in a brotherly and sisterly conduct by opening each other’s eyes on the return benefits we all enjoy from each other as brothers and sisters.

“Our neighbors need to appreciate the fact that there are a lot of South African products entering the Zimbabwean markets. So if we are  to retaliate likewise there will certainly be chaos and anarchy in the SADC region.

Quizzed on whether the labor federations which met Mnangagwa tasked him to take responsibility for the flooding of Zimbabweans in SA due to economic decline, Shamuyarira  said the President instead blamed decades old legacy economic challenges inherited from the previous administration.

“So he said that when he took over in 2017 , the economic growth level was at minus 6 % and as a result of numerous recovery efforts under his watch, the economy has rebounded to 7%. So the President said work continues to be done to strengthen and resolve the obtaining problems,” he said.

Shamuyarira added that challenges bedeviling Zimbabwe cannot be a cause for justifying mass killings in South Africa.