S. Africa's Zuma backs Mugabe's stance on 'highly developed' Zimbabwe

South African President Jacob Zuma has backed President Robert Mugabe’s stance that Zimbabwe is not in a fragile state.

After a meeting on Thursday with the 93-year-old Mugabe on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on Africa in Durban, South Africa, Zuma told the media that Mugabe described Zimbabwe as it is.

“As far as he is concerned, he described how Zimbabwe is, and I agree with the President,” Zuma said.

During a plenary session at the Forum on Thursday, Mugabe denied that his country was in a fragile state.

“You don’t talk of us as a fragile state from an economic point of view. Yes we have our problems but certainly we have achieved … we have our resources, perhaps more resources than the average country in the world,” he said.

He added that his country is one of the “most highly developed countries, second after South Africa”.

South Africa, which is the continent’s most industrialised economy was cut to “junk” last month by two major ratings agencies which cited political uncertainty after President Jacob Zuma sacked Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in a cabinet reshuffle.

Zimbabwe is due to hold its next presidential and parliamentary election in July 2018.

Series of protests have been held in the country in reaction to the economic turmoil characterized by shortage of funds and soar in debt.

93-year-old Mugabe has been endorsed as the ruling ZANU-PF party’s presidential candidate to continue the presidency he assumed since independence.