South Africas and Zambias leaders have again shown their support for Robert Mugabe South Africas Jacob Zuma and his Zambian counterpart Rupiah Banda called for the measures, still in place against Mugabe and his inner circle, to be dropped after a meeting between the two leaders in South Africa. Zuma said the targeted measures were not aiding change in Zimbabwe.
We call on the globe to lift sanctions. It will be helpful. They (the sanctions) are inhibiting our progress, Zuma said.
Banda also echoed these sentiments and said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Troika would meet to discuss Zimbabwe in January.
This is the second time this week that Zuma has led calls for the targeted measures to be dropped. Earlier this week Zuma made the same call, along with Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia and Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi, at a European Union (EU)-Africa summit in Libya. EU representatives meanwhile reportedly urged Mugabe to take reform in Zimbabwe seriously, before the measures can be removed.
Zuma is the regional mediator in Zimbabwes political crisis, but instead of using this role to pressure Mugabe to abide by the terms of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), he has instead used any given platform to lobby on Mugabes behalf over the sanctions issue. Analysts have said this shows Zumas allegiance to Mugabe and ZANU PF as fellow liberation political movements, despite the regime openly trampling on the peoples rights.
Athol Trollip from the South African opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) told SW Radio Africa that Zuma has not done enough to hold Mugabe to the agreement that formed the shaky coalition government. Trollip said that Zuma was walking the same road as his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, who received widespread criticism for his softly-softly handling of Mugabe.
Zuma has fallen into line with a policy of quiet diplomacy, Trollip said, agreeing that Zuma has disappointed many who believed hed take a firm hand with Mugabe.
The DA official added that there are far reaching consequences for Zumas open allegiance to Mugabe, explaining that the influx of Zimbabweans into South Africa will get worse with the next elections.
ZANU PFs wave of violence in every election is expected to happen again, and this new wave of terror will further exacerbate the flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa, Trollip said.
He added: This will also affect our elections, so the consequences are very serious if Zuma keeps allowing Mugabe to get away with this.
Post published in: News