DA Condemns ANC Over President Ramaphosa’s Trip to Zimbabwe

Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa for visiting Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa at his farm.

Although the South African Presidency referred to the trip on Sunday, 3 May 2026, as a “working visit,” the DA has strongly denounced President Ramaphosa’s informal visit to Mnangagwa’s private residence.

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This visit coincides with ZANU-PF’s attempts to entrench its dictatorship in Zimbabwe through the recently announced Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3.

The controversial Bill aims to introduce extensive proposals that may extend presidential terms for ZANU-PF under the guise of technical reforms to electoral cycles and governance frameworks.

“It is noteworthy that both President Ramaphosa and International Relations and Cooperation Minister (DIRCO), Ronald Lamola, remained notably silent when President Mnangagwa and his government arrested opposition leader, Tendai Biti, on the afternoon of 21 March 2026,” stated Ryan Smith, DA Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation.

Biti, the leader of the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), was taken into custody along with other party members and a local journalist in Mutare while promoting public dialogue regarding the proposed constitutional amendments.

The DA, the second-largest party in the Government of National Unity (GNU) led by the African National Congress (ANC), has publicly criticized its partner.

“While the Presidency has attempted to present this visit as a ‘catch-up between neighbours,’ it is clear that yet again, the ANC’s foreign policy neglects our constitutional values of freedom, democracy, and human rights to support a fraternity of despots that the ANC relies on for regional support,” Smith remarked.

“Furthermore, the presence of alleged Zimbabwean businessmen Wicknell Chivhayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei, often dubbed the Zimbabwean Guptas, raises serious concerns about President Ramaphosa’s apparent endorsement of regional corruption and international state capture.”

Smith questioned the purpose of the R1 billion Zondo Commission if President Ramaphosa has not learned from its findings.

“The democratic decline in Zimbabwe is the principal reason behind the immigration crisis South Africa has faced since the late 90s, placing immense pressure on civic and social services and fueling societal divisions within our nation,” Smith added.

“The responsibility for the plight of Zimbabweans seeking refuge in South Africa lies not with those individuals searching for better lives, but with President Ramaphosa and the ANC, who ignore human rights violations and democratic decay for political convenience.”

“Populist politicians in South Africa, who incite xenophobia and ethnic discord, are merely exploiting a problem that the ANC itself has nurtured.”

Smith stated that as long as South Africa refrains from condemning dictators and human rights violators on the continent, it will continue to be a primary haven for refugees created by the ANC’s negligence.

He further noted, “This is yet another example of the ANC’s diplomatic hypocrisy, selectively addressing human rights abuses abroad while disregarding similar issues in our own backyard.”

“The ANC does not confront human rights violations from a principled perspective but rather when it can gain political advantage.”

Smith emphasized that it is evident the ANC “has no genuine interest” in the regional stability of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and its members.

“The South African government continues to behave as if there are no issues in neighboring democracies, overlooking the massacre of civilians by their governments and the violent suppression of dissent,” Smith asserted.

“The disconnection between South Africa’s diplomatic responsibilities as a regional authority and its political party interests represents the most severe threat to SADC’s peace and prosperity.”

As part of the GNU, the DA declared its opposition to the ANC’s tendency to cozy up to regional dictators while ignoring the harsh realities faced by millions of persecuted Zimbabweans living in uncertainty.

“It is unsustainable and fundamentally wrong for the ANC to perpetuate the status quo of democratic erosion on the African continent,” Smith concluded.

“Tens of thousands of South Africans sacrificed their lives for freedom, yet today’s ANC aligns itself with the continent’s oppressors.”