Overview
- Ramaphosa’s office said Wednesday the Zimbabwe trip was a working visit at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s private residence and that he had no prior knowledge of who would attend the informal meeting.
- Photos from the gathering show Ramaphosa with Wicknell Chivayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei, and officials noted Chivayo’s assets are frozen in South Africa as the Hawks investigate alleged money laundering.
- Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa will urge South African law enforcement to keep pursuing cases tied to anyone present and stressed that agencies must act without fear or interference.
- The Democratic Alliance blasted the timing, saying Zanu-PF is pushing Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 to extend term limits, and warned the visit risks signaling support as Zimbabwe’s crisis drives migration to South Africa.
- A former ally of Mnangagwa claimed Ramaphosa went to press Zimbabwe to drop the bill and keep Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, but the presidency rejected linking the visit to internal political moves and those claims remain unverified.