finally SA speaks out on ZIM situation(bet you you wont get to hear about it from the western media houses)

rick · Senior Member

finally SA speaks out on ZIM situation(bet you you wont get to hear about it from the western media houses)

awmygawd · Guru

SA hasn't spoken out on anything, Rick. The issue at hand (i.e state sponsored physical brutality towards Zimbabwe's opposition politicians) has been bypassed by miles! Spin 101.

awmygawd · Guru

Here's a repro' of the article:

South Africa lays Zimbabwe crisis at MDC door

By Donwald Pressly
Last updated: 03/22/2007 19:53:36
THE serious conflict in Zimbabwe has arisen because of the perception by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) that recent elections in Zimbabwe were not free and fair, said a South African government spokesperson, Themba Maseko.

"I think it is now public record that there were elections in Zimbabwe... at the end of those elections, the MDC were of the view that those elections were not free and fair," Maseko told reporters Tuesday.

"Based on the view of the MDC, we then had a situation in Zimbabwe where there was serious conflict arising out of the premise taken by the MDC that the elections were not free and fair."

It, however, was the position of the South African government that the recent elections had been free and fair, he noted.

The answer was in reply to a question from a journalist - at a media briefing after Tuesday's cabinet meeting in Cape Town - as to what the government's analysis of the key problem was in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

"We are of the view (that) of the different parties in Zimbabwe... there is still a need for the parties to say these are our problems as Zimbabweans and this is how we should solve them," he said, calling for dialogue between the Zimbabwean government and opposition parties.

Asked whether the situation in Zimbabwe was not seen as a threat to regional security - even though South Africa had told the United Nations the situation was not a threat to international security - Maseko said there was "no such discussion" in the cabinet.

Asked if the South African government should not take the lead and get Zanu PF and the Movement for Democratic Change to gather for peace talks in South Africa, he said that it was not easy to "drag protagonists" to sit around a table.

South Africa had been successful in other parts of Africa - such as the Democratic Republic of Congo - because the government and opposition both had been willing to sit at such a table.

Asked if he was aware if the South African ambassador to Zimbabwe had tried to talk to parties involved in the conflict in Zimbabwe, he said he was not aware of the envoy's activities in this regard.

In the official cabinet statement, the following mention was made of Zimbabwe: "(The) cabinet, once again, expressed its concerns about the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe and reaffirmed the government position, as recently stated by the deputy minister of foreign affairs, that only dialogue among the main political and economic protagonists can help bring about a lasting solution to the current political and economic challenges facing Zimbabwe.

"As stated previously, South Africa is ready to provide whatever assistance is required in bringing about a peaceful and lasting solution to the situation in Zimbabwe." - News24

rick · Senior Member

awmygawd wrote:

SA hasn't spoken out on anything, Rick. The issue at hand (i.e state sponsored physical brutality towards Zimbabwe's opposition politicians) has been bypassed by miles! Spin 101.

State sponsored brutality my foot! That bastard Morgan tsvangarai deserved every bit of the beating he got.
The guy is a puppet of the west as such I have no sympathy for him or his cause.
The funny thing about the whole situation in Zimbabwe is that as I mentioned in an earlier posting is the fact that the countries that are in the forefront condemning the democratically elected government of Zimbabwe (Britain, USA, Australia) there on records on human rights leave a lot to be desired.
As a matter of fact the double standard of this counties isn’t helping the cause of the opposition in zimbo to the contrary it is undermining there cause.

Lets be honest had what had happened to mr tsvangarai happened to a politician back home, would it have made headlines in the international press ?
No

Pope · Guru

If it happened in malawi it would have been in all media houses,thanks to our govnmt we respect freeddom of association.This Mugabe is a mull with no respect of human rights.But what he should know is that theres always a 40th day and he or his wife will dearly pay for it.I dont blame Morgan nor the west, what did we see during Kamuzu time.

rick · Senior Member

i wish the police in malawi were like the police in zimbo.
and beat the **** out of the likes of atcheya and his clones

awmygawd · Guru

Ha ha! Rick, ALIENS could have a street party in Malawi and it STILL wouldn't make international headlines! On human rights violations; there's no denying there is some amount of hypocrisy, but that doesn't make the violations acceptable does it? Besides, I've heard that argument enough times to understand that it's nothing more than a means to deflect criticism while dispensing of the need to address the issue at hand. I'll only pay attention to it the day I hear David Cameron had the **** kicked out of him by Scotland Yard.

rick · Senior Member

The issue at hand is since the MDC lost the presidential elections in Zimbabwe, and just like a majority of so called opposition parties in Africa they have embarked on a campaign of trying to destabilize Zimbabwe and for every obvious reasons they have done so with the full blessing of the west.
With human rights comes responsibility and regard for the law. The MDC faction of Mr. MORGAN T have chosen to disregarded the law on a number of occasions and being the bunch of idiot they are, every time the government of Zimbabwe has tried to uphold the law the have come out and played the card that they are being victimized.

How come it seem that no one is talking about the 3 police officers how are battling for their lives after a recent bombing of a police station by elements within the MDC?

Alright we will never get to hear about David Cameron getting an ass whipping from Scotland yard. But how about the good number of people that have had control orders issued against them in the UK.
For those not in the know control orders were part of the measures introduced by the British government in the "fight against terrorism"
if you have a control order against you, you are kept under house arrest indefinitely .you have on right what so ever to go to court and the state can even choose not to tell you the reason why the have imposed the order on you.
Or how about extraordinary renditions?

awmygawd · Guru

rick wrote:

Alright we will never get to hear about David Cameron getting an ass whipping from Scotland yard. But how about the good number of people that have had control orders issued against them in the UK.
For those not in the know control orders were part of the measures introduced by the British government in the "fight against terrorism"
if you have a control order against you, you are kept under house arrest indefinitely .you have on right what so ever to go to court and the state can even choose not to tell you the reason why the have imposed the order on you.
Or how about extraordinary renditions?

The first sentence (as quoted above) is key and incidentally, it makes the rest of your argument irrelevant. The human rights abuses you mention are hardly comparable to what's going on in Zimbabwe, especially in terms of impact on the country's political system. Apples and oranges.

There isn't much I can say on the allegations you make against MDC as they are matters I am simply not aware of (you can help me by posting a relevant and credible link). But even if they are true, is beating up an opposition politician the best way to resolve them? Even Zimbabwe's legal system has a more civilised way of dealing with alleged criminals, I'm sure.

On rule of law, well; Everything from aparthied, slavery and nazism to racial segregation in the US has been enshrined in the laws of the countries concerned at some point. Zimbabwean laws have become just as farcical now, a total sham.

-- Edited by awmygawd at 01:03, 2007-03-25