By James Gwati-South Africa’s ruling party, the National Congress has defended Zanu PF and denounced the CCC’s Nelson Chamisa.

Fikile Mbalula, the ANC secretary general, said Emmerson Mnangagwa had implemented reforms in the post-Robert Mugabe administration and claimed that the west still wants the opposition to rule to become Zimbabwe.

Addressing the ANC 9th Western Cape Provincial Conference on Saturday, 24 June, Mbalula said:
(President) Mnangagwa brought some reforms in Zimbabwe, but they (the West) did not want those reforms because they want a man called (Nelson) Chamisa.
They want him there to be the leader; the new leader of a new Zimbabwe.
And then we say to the Americans and say to the British, give the Zimbabweans what they deserve, because you agreed in Lancaster that you would give them £40 billion for land reform and redistribution programme.
Meanwhile, Chamisa kicked off his campaign ahead of the August 23 elections by addressing Zimbabweans based in South Africa.
Addressing a campaign rally in Johannesburg on Saturday, Chamisa pleaded with Zimbabweans in that country to support the CCC. He said:
Lets us go back and mobilise, we count on you. We want you to help with resources, one rand or US$1 can make a huge difference.
Zambians did it, Malawians also did it, Kenyans also did it, they did it in DRC…if they are doing it, why can’t we also do it?
In the 2018 elections, Chamisa lost to Mnangagwa by a narrow margin and he challenged the results in court alleging rigging.
However, Mnangagwa’s victory was upheld by the Constitutional Court.