NONI MOKATI
JOHANNESBURG - ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema will visit Zimbabwe later this week – where he will not only meet and greet Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, but also “study” the effects of nationalisation.
Malema’s visit to Zimbabwe comes as that country still battles severe economic problems and seething political tensions between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The ANCYL’s spokesman, Floyd Shivambu said the youth league’s bilateral meeting with the Zanu-PF youth is aimed at strengthening relations with former liberation movements.
“The visit will also be utilised to popularise South Africa’s hosting of the World Festival for Youth and Students in December 2010,” Shivambu said.
He described the youth league’s visit to Mugabe in Harare as a “courtesy” call.
But the MDC leadership in South Africa said it was “dismayed” by Malema’s visit.
“We are worried that a highly regarded (political) party in Africa like the ANC would openly share notes with Zanu-PF whose violation of human rights in Zimbabwe are well documented,” said the MDC’s publicity secretary, Sibanengi Dube.
He added: “It is very sad that Malema, (South Africa’s) nationalisation of mines champion visit to Zimbabwe will overtly put a stamp of approval on Robert Mugabe’s farm invasions, appropriations of foreign owned companies and persecution of members of the opposition.
The youth league’s visit to Zimbabwe is part of a bigger study, which will see its leaders travel to China, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil and Cuba, to see how countries have fared with the nationalisation of economic sectors.
The Citizen
