Ramaphosa welcomes Mnangagwa to reaffirm South Africa–Zimbabwe ties

President Cyril Ramaphosa received Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Pretoria for the Fourth Session of the South Africa–Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC), using the meeting to reaffirm bilateral relations and push for deeper economic cooperation.

Warm welcome and a message of unity

In opening remarks at the BNC session on 21 August 2026, Ramaphosa referred to Mnangagwa as his “brother” and sought to reassure him about the state of relations between the two countries following recent unrest in South Africa.

“We are one people. Our spirits are inseparable, and our past has been shaped by shared culture, history and language. Our future will be shaped by shared aspirations,”

Ramaphosa also said:

“We stood together in the fight against colonialism, white minority rule and apartheid. As South Africa, we will forever remember that the people of Zimbabwe gave us shelter, protection and support in the darkest times of our struggle.”

Addressing migration and repatriations

Ramaphosa’s remarks came after a series of marches against illegal immigrants in South Africa. The source notes that in June several countries, including Zimbabwe, began repatriating their citizens from South Africa amid the protests.

According to Home Affairs figures cited at the meeting, as of 6 August 2026 at least 82 875 foreign nationals had been processed at the repatriation centres. The figure excludes those repatriated before 30 June and those processed by the Border Management Authority.

The source also records that between 20 April and 28 July 2026, 16 078 foreign nationals were deported from the Lindela repatriation centre. It lists nationality totals across previous and current periods, noting that Malawians were the majority, followed by Zimbabweans (13 479 previous vs 4 095 current), Mozambicans (12 354 vs 4 034) and Basotho (3 494 vs 931).

The report adds that South Africa is seeking reimbursement from the countries whose citizens were deported.

Economic cooperation and shared projects

Ramaphosa used the BNC platform to outline economic areas for collaboration, saying the two countries should work together on infrastructure and resource development to create jobs and resilience.

“We should be working together to build the bridges, roads, dams, airports, health facilities and schools that will drive our economies into the future,”

He cited one concrete example of cooperation: an agreement to supply water from Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge Water Works to Musina, describing it as a way to meet basic needs and improve resilience to climate change. He also said,

“We must work together to ensure that all our people have enough food.”

Prisoner transfer and corrections cooperation

The two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in correctional services. The Department of Correctional Services said the MoU covers:

• technical cooperation on information management;
• exchange of information relating to prisons and correctional services;
• promotion of prison self-sufficiency through agricultural and industrial production initiatives.

The department said the agreement will also establish a framework for cooperation on the interstate transfer of offenders between South Africa and Zimbabwe, citing the mutual importance of the issue given the number of citizens from both countries serving sentences across borders.

What comes next

The Fourth Session of the Bi-National Commission provided a forum for leaders to restate shared history and map practical cooperation across infrastructure, migration and corrections. The meeting ended with the signing of the corrections MoU and references to ongoing work to deepen trade and development ties.