SA move to block UN sanctions against Zimbabwe promotes Robert Mugabe's illegitimate rule

The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the South African government's decision to block a United Nations resolution to impose sanctions on members of Robert Mugabe's government. Reports from the UN Security Council indicate that South Africa is again collaborating with Russia and China to shield Zimbabwe from international isolation.

By turning a blind eye to human rights violations in Zimbabwe and the outcome of a farce election, South Africa is complicit in defending the political situation in Zimbabwe. South Africa still has a moral responsibility to ensure that the will of the people of Zimbabwe prevails; part of that solution is to exert strong pressure on those responsible for stealing the election from the people, by imposing travel bans and asset seizures on them.

It is telling that while President Mbeki maintains that Zimbabwe's political impasse can still be resolved, South Africa's ambassador to the United Nations, Dumisani Khumalo is doing everything to block any initiative that would make it clear to Mugabe that he cannot continue down this path. Khumalo's comment that: ‘I don't think that this is the kind of pressure that will work' is disingenuous. These sanctions would be instrumental in showing Mugabe that he no longer enjoys the support of South Africa.

Mugabe's response so far to the ‘softly softly' approach indicates that no amount of negotiation will convince him to hand over power to the legitimate victors of the election.

Unless South Africa leads the campaign for tougher action against Mugabe, nothing will stop him from extending his illegal grip on power. In the meantime innocent Zimbabweans continue to suffer at the hands of an illegitimate and brutal regime.

Statement issued by Tony Leon MP, Democratic Alliance spokesperson for foreign affairs, July 2 2008