Zuma and Nkoana-Mashabane must act on Zimbabwe unrest 

6 July 2016

The ANC government’s silence on the civil unrest ensuing in Zimbabwe cannot be ignored. President Jacob Zuma and his DIRCO Minister cannot remain silent if we are to do our part to mitigate the escalating unrest in our neighbouring country. The “quiet diplomacy” of the past cannot be allowed to repeat itself and, as history has shown, has the potential to allow for human rights violations to persist.

The situation in Zimbabwe appears to be the result of a shortage of resources – food and cash – as well as dissatisfaction with the administration of President Robert Mugabe. We call on President Zuma – as a leader in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region – and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoane-Mashabane, to break their silence and condemn the atrocities currently being carried out in Zimbabwe. 

 President Zuma must give effect to South Africa’s human rights-based foreign policy to ensure that no more human rights abuses occur on our watch. Our government’s silence in this regard will make us complicit in the escalation of the use of force against civilians.

South Africa’s most recent track record on human rights on the international stage has left a lot to be desired and it is time for us to step up and restore our commitment to human rights. 

Most recently, South Africa voted against the United Nation’s (UN) resolution promoting the protection of Human Rights on online platforms, a disturbing but unsurprising move by a government who appears to place human rights and civil liberties at the bottom of its list and as evidenced by this vote; deliberately acting against safeguarding these principles. This was preceded by South Africa’s vote against the protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. These votes are at severe odds with the Bill of Rights South Africa vowed to espouse both domestically and beyond our borders. 

The time is ripe to find a solution that will ensure that the will of the people prevails and that democratic principles and constitutionalism prevail.

Furthermore, the situation in Zimbabwe should serve as a wakeup call for the South African Government that without sound economic policies and a caring government the people will suffer and their dissatisfaction will only be silenced for so long.

Zimbabwe, like many other African nations, helped South Africa in its fight for freedom and democracy. We have a duty to ensure that Zimbabwe finds legitimate freedom and democracy.

Issued by Stevens Mokgalapa, DA Shadow Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, 6 July 2016