Ramaphosa’s Secret Farm Visit to Mnangagwa Sparks Fury as ZANU-PF Tightens Grip

Key facts

• Cyril Ramaphosa visited Emmerson Mnangagwa at his private residence on Sunday.
• The visit was unofficial, according to the Democratic Alliance (DA).
• ZANU-PF recently gazetted Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 to extend presidential terms.
• Zimbabwean opposition leader Tendai Biti was arrested on 21 March 2026 in Mutare.
• Biti leads the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) and was detained with party members and a journalist.
• Zimbabwean businessmen Wicknell Chivhayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei were present at the meeting.
• The DA called the businessmen the 'Zimbabwean Guptas', linking them to corruption.
• South Africa’s Zondo Commission cost R1 billion and investigated state capture.

A Secret Meeting at Mnangagwa’s Farm

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa made an unofficial visit to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s private residence on Sunday, a move that has drawn fierce condemnation from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU). The meeting comes as Mnangagwa’s ruling ZANU-PF pushes through Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, which critics say would entrench one-party rule by extending presidential term limits under the guise of electoral cycle reforms. The Presidency attempted to frame the encounter as an “in-person catch-up between two neighbours,” but the DA’s Ryan Smith MP rejected that characterisation, calling it a blatant display of support for a regime that is systematically dismantling democratic institutions. The visit was not listed on Ramaphosa’s official schedule, raising questions about its true purpose.

DA Condemns Silence on Biti’s Arrest

The DA pointed to Ramaphosa’s conspicuous silence when Zimbabwean authorities arrested opposition leader Tendai Biti on 21 March 2026 in the town of Mutare. Biti, who leads the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), was detained along with other party members and a local journalist as they sought to encourage public participation in the constitutional amendment process. “Both President Ramaphosa and International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola remained deafeningly silent,” Smith said. The DA argued that this pattern of non-response demonstrates the ANC’s willingness to overlook human rights abuses when they serve its political interests.

The ‘Zimbabwean Guptas’ and Corruption Questions

Adding to the controversy, the presence of Zimbabwean businessmen Wicknell Chivhayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei at the meeting has drawn sharp criticism. The DA referred to them as the “Zimbabwean Guptas,” a reference to the Gupta family at the centre of South Africa’s state capture scandal, which was investigated by the Zondo Commission at a cost of R1 billion. “What was the point of the R1 billion Zondo Commission if President Ramaphosa himself has learned nothing from the outcome?” Smith asked. The DA suggested that Ramaphosa’s association with these figures signals a tolerance for corruption and state capture on an international scale, undermining South Africa’s own anti-corruption efforts.

Zimbabwe’s Democratic Backslide Fuels Migration Crisis

The DA linked Zimbabwe’s democratic decline directly to the immigration pressures South Africa has faced since the late 1990s. “Zimbabwe’s democratic backslide is the sole reason for the immigration crisis South Africa has been subjected to since the late 90s, which places a tremendous burden on civic and social services, and stokes violent societal division,” Smith said. The party argued that populist South African politicians who exploit xenophobia are capitalising on a symptom of a problem created by the ANC itself. “For as long as South Africa refuses to stand up and condemn dictators and human rights abusers on our continent, our country will forever be the only place of asylum for the refugees the ANC continues to create,” Smith added.

ANC’s Diplomatic Hypocrisy Under Fire

The DA accused the ANC of selective outrage, condemning human rights abuses elsewhere while ignoring similar acts in neighbouring Zimbabwe. “The ANC does not address human rights abuses out of principle, it only does so where it can gain political mileage,” Smith said. The party also warned that the ANC’s cognitive dissonance between South Africa’s diplomatic responsibilities as a regional power and its own party interests poses the single largest threat to the stability of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). “The ANC has no interest in the regional stability of SADC or its members,” Smith said, pointing to the government’s failure to address civilian massacres and violent suppression of opposition in neighbouring states.

A Threat to Regional Stability

The DA’s statement concluded by rejecting the ANC’s fraternisation with “neighbouring dictators” and called for a principled foreign policy. “It is unsustainable and deeply unprincipled for the ANC to maintain the status quo of democratic capture on the African continent,” Smith said. The party invoked the memory of South Africa’s own struggle for freedom, noting that tens of thousands of South Africans died fighting for democracy. “Yet today’s ANC sits side by side with the enemies of freedom across the continent,” Smith said, underscoring the deep divisions within the GNU over foreign policy direction.

What Comes Next for Ramaphosa and Mnangagwa

The visit has intensified scrutiny of Ramaphosa’s foreign policy and his relationship with Mnangagwa, especially as ZANU-PF moves to consolidate power. The Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, if passed, could allow Mnangagwa to extend his presidency indefinitely, further entrenching ZANU-PF’s rule. The DA has called for a full explanation of the meeting’s purpose and outcomes, demanding that Ramaphosa clarify his stance on Zimbabwe’s democratic backslide. With South Africa’s next general election approaching, the incident may become a flashpoint in domestic politics, testing the cohesion of the GNU and the ANC’s commitment to democratic values.

The bottom line

• Ramaphosa’s unofficial visit to Mnangagwa’s private residence has been condemned by the DA as support for dictatorship.
• Zimbabwe’s Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 would extend presidential terms, undermining democratic checks.
• Opposition leader Tendai Biti was arrested on 21 March 2026 while campaigning against the bill.
• Businessmen Wicknell Chivhayo and Kudakwashe Tagwirei, linked to corruption, were present at the meeting.
• The DA argues the ANC’s foreign policy fuels Zimbabwe’s migration crisis and regional instability.
• The incident highlights tensions within South Africa’s Government of National Unity over foreign policy.