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BLANTYRE – Malawi has demanded an official explanation from South Africa after comments by President Jacob Zuma labelling his near neighbour as backward, an official said Thursday.
Malawi has already summoned South Africa’s top diplomat, High Commissioner Cassandra Makone, over the gaffe.
“The next step is to wait and receive the official statement and map the way forward,” senior foreign ministry official George Mkondiwa told the privately-owned radio Zodiak.
He said a statement from Pretoria was expected on Thursday.
On Monday, Zuma sparked controversy when he tried to convince South African motorists to accept a plan to toll highways around Johannesburg.
“We are in Johannesburg, this is Johannesburg. It’s not some national road in Malawi,” said the president.
South Africa has said that Zuma was “quoted out of context”.
Mkondiwa insisted that “there was no tension at all” between the two countries over the incident.
Zuma has not commented on the incident but his spokesman, Mac Maharaj, apologised for the remark on Wednesday during a radio interview. – AFP.
Online Reporter