Metro police prosecutes AfriForum representative who put up "Mugabe, go home!" posters at Union Buildings

The civil rights initiative AfriForum today put up posters with the message "Mugabe go home!" on lamp posts in the vicinity of the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where the presidential inauguration is set to take place on Saturday. Shortly thereafter, the Tshwane Metro Police removed the posters and issued a fine to Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum. Kriel indicated that he would oppose this fine in court on the 22nd of June.

According to Kriel it is a bitter irony that a violator of human rights like Robert Mugabe is welcomed into South Africa with open arms, while those who initiate a peaceful protest against it are prosecuted. "If anyone is to be prosecuted, it should be Mugabe," Kriel added.

The poster-campaign was initiated as a protest against the fact that the human rights violator, Robert Mugabe, has been invited to this inauguration, while a visa to visit South Africa was recently denied to the Dalai Lama.

According to Kriel, Mugabe should not even be allowed into South Africa, in the light of the continued human rights violations in Zimbabwe.  "The fact that Mugabe gets the red carpet treatment shortly after 18 activists were once again arrested in Zimbabwe, sends a negative message regarding the South African government's approach to human rights," Kriel added.

Kriel states that South Africa's commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights is already being questioned after events such as the decision in 2007 to oppose the UN Security Council's resolution against human rights violations in Myanmar, and more recently the refusal of a visa for the Dalai Lama.

It is a sad irony that the South African government has just done away with visa requirements for Zimbabweans who are streaming to South Africa because of the Mugabe regime, but at the same time welcomes the cause of the problems, namely Robert Mugabe, with open arms.

According to media reports, Presidents Omar el-Basjhir of the Sudan and Andy Rajoelina of Madagascar will not be at the inauguration - El-Basjhir because of a warrant for his arrest and Rajoelina as South Africa does not recognise his government.  "There is no valid reason why Mugabe could not have been omitted from the guest list as well," Kriel said.  AfriForum's appeal to the authorities not to allow Mugabe in the country, according to Kriel fell upon deaf ears, and therefore the decision was made to protest against Mugabe's presence by means of the posters.

Statement issued by Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, May 7 2009

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