The MDC Alliance has blamed ZANU PF for forcing the South African envoy on a mission to assess human rights violations in Zimbabwe to leave the country without meeting the opposition party as scheduled.

The party spokesperson Fadzai Mahere has issued the following statement which states the South African Envoys sent by Cyril Ramaphosa did not meet with them despite the envoys formally requesting to meet the party’s representatives.

The statement reads as follows:

STATEMENT ON CANCELLATION OF MEETING BY SPECIAL ENVOYS APPOINTED BY CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

The MDC Alliance was formally requested to be available for a meeting today, the 10. of August 2020, with the special envoys that were deployed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to Zimbabwe. A delegation remained on standby from 10am this morning only to be advised at the end of the day that the special envoys would be returning to South Africa without meeting the MDC Alliance delegation. in order to brief President Ramaphosa on the outcomes of their meeting with Mr Mnangagwa.

We can only assume that the failure to meet the MDC Alliance delegation was as a result of demands made by the Zanu PF delegation.

We reiterate that Zimbabwe is in a state of crisis that has been characterized by a de facto gate of emergency a crackdown on citizens, abductions. arbitrary arrests of government critics and the political persecution of journalists. The Govemment in Harare is incapable of resolving these challenges because it lacks legitimacy. We are of the firm vim that any solution to the ongoing socio-economic challenges lies in resolving the political crisis and answering the outstanding legitimacy question.

It is clear that Mr Mnanangagwa is not ready to resolve the national crisis through genuine dialogue. However, the deteriorating plight of the Zimbabwean people means that a political settlement is more urgent than before. We wiill continue to engage Mr Mnangagwa to engage in sincere dialogue untill national crisis is resolved.

Fadzayi Mahere

National Spokeperson