Zuma snubs Mnangagwa inauguration; dispatches junior minister




May 21, 2015. Siyabonga Cwele, mnister of Telecomunications and Postal Services briefs media prior to delivering his budget, Cape Town. Pic:Trevor Samson/ Business Day
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Cape Town  – South African Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Dr Siyabonga Cwele will represent President Jacob Zuma at the inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe president in Harare on Friday.

In a statement, the Presidency said Zuma will be hosting Angola President João Manuel Lourenço on a State visit which clashes with the inauguration.

The Presidency added that Zuma had already congratulated President-elect Mnangagwa and wished him well during a meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday, ahead of his return to Harare.

Zuma also extended his good wishes to former President Robert Mugabe and emphasised that “his contribution to the liberation of the Southern African region and the decolonisation of the continent in general will always be acknowledged and celebrated”.

Mugabe resigned this week after 37 years following a military takeover last week and increased calls for his resignation.