President Jacob Zuma of South Africa and his Angolan counterpart, Joao Lourenco, will travel on Wednesday to Zimbabwe, where 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe is under growing pressure to resign, South Africa’s state broadcaster said.
NAN reports that on Nov. 16, Zuma, as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), deployed a special envoy to Zimbabwe in light of the developments regarding Mugabe.
The envoy, who started in Angola, was accompanied by Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and State Security Minister Bongani Bongo.
“The Special Envoys were sent to the Republic of Angola to see President Lourenco, Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security to brief him on the situation,” the presidency said in a statement.
Mugabe and his family have been under military guard as the army also took over the state broadcaster earlier, in what many have described as a coup.
“President Zuma spoke to President Robert Mugabe earlier today who indicated that he was confined to his home but said that he was fine,” the Presidency said.
It also said South Africa was in contact with the Zimbabwean Defence Force.
Zuma reiterated his earlier calls for calm and restraint in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda said he received a motion to impeach and the parliament would adjourn to a hotel to start the proceedings on Tuesday afternoon.
Zimbabwean law says a joint sitting can take place anywhere.
Thousands or people demonstrated outside parliament urging Mugabe to quit.
Mugabe led Zimbabwe’s liberation war and is hailed as one of Africa’s founding fathers and a staunch supporter of the drive to free neighbouring South Africa from apartheid in 1994.
Many people in Africa and beyond also say he has damaged Zimbabwe’s economy, democracy and judiciary by staying in power for too long and has used violence to crush perceived political opponents. (Reuters/NAN)
