President Robert Mugabe and his South African counterpart, President Jacob Zuma, held a meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday seeking to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Mr. Mugabe is in South Africa on a two-day state visit, which is his first in 21 years. The Zimbabwean leader and his South African counterpart signed some memorandum of understanding and bilateral agreements on various issues with Mr. Mugabe urging South Africa to invest in the northern neighbour’s ailing economy.
Mr. Mugabe said Zimbabwe has an abundance of resources, which remain unexplored.
There were media reports that Mr. Mugabe and his high-level cabinet delegation were in Pretoria to seek help in funding the country’s cash-strapped government.
But Mr. Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba dismissed those suggestions. At a press conference in Pretoria, President Mugabe vowed that Harare will not exhume the remains of former colonial ruler, Cecil John Rhodes.
Poltical analyst Blessing Vava told VOA Studio 7 that Mr. Mugabe is turning to South Africa as a strategic ally.
