(Pictured: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband -- The UK says visa and finacial restrictions on Mugabe and his top allies will be lifted once the unity government restores democracy and the rule of law in Zimbabwe)JOHANNESBURG — South African President Jacob Zuma has repeated calls on Western governments to remove visa and bans imposed on President Robert Mugabe and his top allies, leaving observers wondering whether the South African leader has not fallen for Zanu (PF)s strategy to blame everything wrong with Zimbabwe on the Western measures.
Zuma was speaking in his countrys Parliament in Cape Town last Wednesday where he urged Western nations to lift the targeted measures, saying they were undermining the coalition government.
We dont need these sanctions now, Zuma told lawmakers in Parliament. The targeted sanctions right now divide the unity government. Give this unity government a chance.
Zuma is the regional mediator in Zimbabwes political crisis and has been tasked with ending the deadlock reached by the rival parties in the fragile coalition government.
The parties have been divided over outstanding issues from the global political agreement (GPA), with Zanu (PF) stating it would not be making any concessions to the MDC unless the international sanctions are removed. The MDC meanwhile, which Zanu (PF) says is responsible for the targeted sanctions being in place, has been making all the concessions to try force progress, but to no avail.
But instead of pressuring Mugabe and his party to implement the GPA, Zuma has instead taken up Zanu (PF)s rallying cry that the sanctions are to blame for the countrys problems. Zuma earlier this month used a state visit to the UK to lobby on Mugabes behalf for the measures to be lifted, pressure which was resisted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Brown argued the measures would remain until there was more progress by the unity government, echoing the European Union, which this year extended their sanctions on the Mugabe regime by another year.
Zuma last week appeared to make some progress when he called his mediation trip to Zimbabwe a success. Speculation has since been rife over what Zuma has persuaded the unity government players to agree on, but his statements on Wednesday worryingly seem prove his allegiance to Zanu (PF) has not changed.
Observers have also expressed anger that Zuma chose not to publicly denounce the violence that is still rampant in Zimbabwe, and instead has only been outspoken on the sanctions issue. — SW Radio Africa.
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