Posted on 07/12/2004 8:43:09 AM PDT by Clive
It is time the African National Congress clarifies the real nature of its relationship with Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF, the Democratic Alliance's acting leader, Douglas Gibson, said in a statement on Sunday.
He was reacting to newspaper reports that ANC officials led by President Thabo Mbeki had met with leading Zanu-PF officials at the ANC's Johannesburg headquarters to forge closer political ties.
"The South African public has a right to know what is going on," said Gibson.
"We need to know exactly how close the ANC and Zanu-PF are. It seems that the relationship between the ANC and Zanu-PF is closer than most people realise."
The ANC should tell South Africans how it was possible to have such a relationship with a government that:
had been criticised by an AU report for undemocratic practices and human rights abuses;
- was carrying out what Zimbabwe's opposition described as "ethnic cleansing";
- had destroyed the rule of law in Zimbabwe;
- had introduced detention without trial; and
- had closed down Zimbabwe's independent media and stopped the foreign media from operating.
"The ANC likes to proclaim itself as an honest broker in Zimbabwe, which does not publicly criticise Zanu-PF for fear that it might be counterproductive. That excuse is growing increasingly threadbare," Gibson continued.
"It is time the ANC made a choice: peace progress and democracy in Zimbabwe or still more repression under (President Robert) Mugabe and Zanu-PF."
"Mr Mbeki must break his silence and tell us the truth about Zimbabwe. Is it silent diplomacy or is it covert support?" - Sapa
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Neither. It's obvious collusion.
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