SA opposition demand debate in parliament over Zimbabwe crisis

By Lance Guma
01 September 2006

South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance party says it will make a formal request to that country’s parliament to try and debate alternative measures to end the Zimbabwean crisis. The DA Chairperson Joe Seremani issued a statement slamming Thabo Mbeki’s ‘quite diplomacy’ as a ‘spectacular failure,’ and said it was no longer acceptable. "I will consequently this week give notice of a motion in the National Assembly to request Parliament to debate what action South Africa should now take and how it can use its position to bring about a real and meaningful solution to the Zimbabwe crisis," the statement read.

Political analysts have accused Mbeki of treading too softly in his dealings with Robert Mugabe and consensus is building that he is putting African solidarity over and above condemning worsening human rights violations taking place across the border. Seremani further pointed out that Mbeki’s reluctance to get tough with Mugabe only helped to ‘further entrench the growing impression that President Mbeki is afraid to deal with the Mugabe regime and that he is the junior statesman in Southern Africa.’

In an interview with Newsreel on Friday, Seremane admitted there was growing resentment towards Zimbabweans seeking refuge in South Africa. He explained that some South Africans did not understand the nature of their neighbour’s problems and hence ‘brother was turning against brother.’ Asked what they would do if the DA was in power, Seremane says they would have initially given negotiations with Mugabe a chance. Adding that if these yielded nothing sanctions would have had to be imposed to secure a political solution.