The
South African government on Wednesday refuted the claim by the leader of
Mozambique’s largest opposition party Renamo, Afonso Dhlakama, that President
Jacob Zuma had expressed his readiness to mediate.Renamo first raised the idea
of President Zuma mediating in talks between it and the Mozambican government
in December last year. In January, Dhlakama stated that he personally, and
Renamo as an organization, have written letters to Zuma asking him to mediate.
However,
South Africa’s Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane, has denied that any invitation has been received. Speaking in
Maputo on Wednesday, she stressed “we have not received any invitation from
Renamo or the government”.Nkoana-Mashabane was in Maputo to meet with her
Mozambican counterpart, Oldemiro Baloi. She pointed out that this was part of
regular consultations that take place between the two countries.In December,
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi met with Zuma in Pretoria where they
discussed, amongst other matters, climate change.At Wednesday’s meeting, the
two foreign ministers focussed on the serious drought affecting parts of their
countries and the ways in which they can access funds to ameliorate the effects
of climate change.Baloi highlighted the need for cooperation in the field of
drought resistant crops, which he said South Africa had a wide range of
experience. He said that such areas of cooperation are not only bilateral
maters, but also of regional significance.
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