South Africa will not protect Zimbawean farmers

SABC News (SA) ^ | August 14, 2002

[Clive]

South Africa has rejected calls from pressure groups to send troops to Zimbabwe to protect white farmers.

Aziz Pahad, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, has told a media briefing that Zimbabwe is not the tenth province of South Africa, and as such, it has its own laws to deal with the controversial issue of land redistribution.

Pahad's briefing comes at a time when more pressure is being exerted to South Africa to adopt a tougher stance against President Robert Mugabe's government. Pahad says South Africa and the Southern African Development Community have done everything in their power to bring stability to Zimbabwe. However, the Zimbabwean President is still insisting that three thousand white farmers should vacate their land by the end of this month. Pahad added that South Africa hope that the land redistribution could be handled in a manner which does not violate human rights.

The Deputy Minister has also rejected a call by the Prime Minister of New Zealand for the extension of Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth. Pahad says such positions should be those of the Commonwealth, not individual members. He however expressed concerns on the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe. Pahad says the South African High Commission in Harare is looking into the plight of South African farmers in Zimbabwe, who are trapped in that political dilemma.

[Clive]

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[widowithfoursons]

Why is our govt not outraged over this? It boggles the mind.

[Rodney King]

The victims are white.

[MadIvan]

South Africa will not protect Zimbawean farmers

Well come now, what were they expecting out of Mbeki?

Regards, Ivan

[Freemeorkillme]

Should read:

"Compassionate Anti-Apartheid South Africa sympathizes with famine-embattled Lando Mugabe"

Oh, wait. Giving the spin doctors too much material.

[Bedford Forrest]

Thuggo Mbeki is seeing his fondest hopes realized in the totally flaccid, hands-off stance of the western industrial states toward Mugabe's racist outrages and thinly disguised murder campaign against the only productive inmates [the white farmers] in the madhouse Zimbabwe has become. Thuggo is already telegraphing his plans for white South African farmers by doing nothing as hundreds of them are murdered each year. Thuggo is pretty banal, really, just your average power crazed, murdering commie. But it is way past time to stop sending Thuggo and his ilk US taxpayers' money. Let the Froggies and the Swedes support these vermin, their kindred spirits underneath it all.