By Daphine Zulu

In a desperate effort to amass political expediency, Zimbabwean opposition parties took turns to outsmart each other by taking a swipe at South Africans on the recent Afrophobic attacks.

As if condemning the violence in SA was not enough, MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa cunningly roped in the Zimbabwean plight, desperately seeking to invite sympathisers.

“Extremely disturbed by violence and xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Decisive action to protect all in South Africa and stopping any attacks on fellow Africans is key. Fixing the Zimbabwean crisis is a priority. President Cyril Ramaphosa help Zimbabweans to help themselves,” said Chamisa.

Commenting on these sentiments, political commentator, Susan Kombai said that whilst it was prudent to condemn violence, Zimbabweans were not the sole causes of these attacks. “Why mention Zimbabwe as if that is where the problem lays. Instead it is SA’s way of handling grievances which needs to be addressed.”

Exposing the opposition’s retrogressive nature, Jealousy Mawarire, national spokesperson for National Patriotic Front (NPF) said, “Suspend South Africa from SADC, and AU, boycott all South African goods, close or loot all SA chain stores, close all SA embassies in Africa and make sure no SA trucks travel around Africa or fly in any African country airspace. Let them stay in their SA and we keep our Africa.”

Kombai further criticised this regressive nature adding that Africa was still developing and needed cooperation and partnerships among themselves to prosper in all spheres - economically, socially and politically. As such, there is really no need to be dramatic, isolating SA from the African map, or suspending SA products when Africa still require to trade, and looting SA chain stores as if the owners are the ones perpetrating violence when they are actually loosing from these disturbances as well.

“Evidently some parties merely want to grab the limelight, even for the wrong reasons. They are busy getting ahead of themselves, instead of merely condemning the violence in SA,”  he said.