Ramaphosa’s ‘quiet’ Zimbabwe visit sparks political storm as Presidency denies ulterior motives

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent visit to Zimbabwe has sparked a political firestorm, with the Presidency dismissing claims of hidden agendas while the Democratic Alliance (DA) raises concerns over alleged links to controversial businessmen.

Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, confirmed on Wednesday at the Imbizo Media Centre in Cape Town, that Ramaphosa travelled to meet his Zimbabwean counterpart, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to discuss bilateral relations and shared regional priorities.

Magwenya rejected suggestions that the visit was linked to individuals of interest to South African law enforcement.

“President Ramaphosa had no prior knowledge of who would be present at the meeting, nor was he familiar with the said individual. He flew to engage his counterpart on matters of mutual interest, nothing more. The President will further encourage our law enforcement agencies to continue pursuing the matters that are under investigation involving this individual(s) and to do so with no fear or any form of hesitation,” said Magwenya.

The Presidency also clarified that the engagement took place in an informal setting outside formal protocol.

HE President @CyrilRamaphosa earlier today, undertook a working visit to the Republic of Zimbabwe for an engagement with his Zimbabwean counterpart, HE President Emmerson Mnangangwa, to discuss issues of mutual and bilateral interests.

South Africa and Zimbabwe maintain a… pic.twitter.com/DZID0gEYpK

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) May 3, 2026

The DA has strongly criticised the visit, questioning the absence of a prior media advisory and raising concerns about the presence of controversial Zimbabwean businessmen, including Wicknell Chivhayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

The party compared the individuals to the Gupta family, accusing Ramaphosa of appearing to legitimise corruption beyond South Africa’s borders.

“The presence of individuals widely associated with state capture raises serious questions about the President’s judgment. What was the purpose of the R1 billion Zondo Commission if its lessons are not being upheld?” the DA said in a statement.

The party also criticised Zimbabwe’s political direction, warning that proposed constitutional changes could entrench long-term rule under ZANU-PF.

Presidency rejects xenophobia claims amid regional tensions

Meanwhile, Magwenya also rejected broader criticism of South Africa amid recent anti-migrant protests in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.

He said the issue was discussed during Ramaphosa’s engagement with Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, with Ramaphosa stressing that South Africans are not inherently xenophobic.

Magwenya added that migration challenges require coordinated continental solutions.

“Condemnations alone are not enough. There must be a collective willingness to address the root causes, conflict, instability and governance failures that drive migration across the continent.”

Today’s working visit with His Excellency President Daniel Francisco Chapo of the Republic of Mozambique gave us both a great opportunity to have extensive discussions on matters of mutual interest and explore ways to deepen cooperation between our two countries. pic.twitter.com/5aBgUs45LN

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) May 5, 2026

There are marches daily against illegal immigrants. This is a very serious issue. To say the government is engaging other countries is clumsy. This has been happening for the last 20 years. The President must address the nation. It’s not helpful to be indifferent

— Dave (@Matsholone) May 6, 2026