Johannesburg – After mounting pressure for South Africa to do something about the crisis unfolding in Zimbabwe President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced he has appointed two envoys to assess how South Africa can help.
The president has asked Sydney Mufamadi and Baleka Mbete to talk to Zimbabwe’s government and other relevant role-players to identify possible ways South Africa can assist the country with what he calls “the difficulties it’s experiencing”.
The pair will leave for Zimbabwe soon.
Scores of activists and anti-government protesters have been rounded up, beaten and arrested over the weekend in what say is a brutal government crackdown.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is blaming “dark foreign forces working with rogue Zimbabweans” for the unrest.
There’s been anger in Zimbabwe over decisions taken by the High Court to deny bail to a prominent journalist.
Hopewell Chin’ono was arrested nearly three weeks ago, and government critics said his prosecution was political.
Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said she’s stunned that Chin’ono was denied bail.
Many will be watching the High Court again on Friday, to see whether it grants bail to another detained anti-corruption activist: Jacob Ngarivhume, who was arrested on the same day as Chin’ono.
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