SA govt owes victims of Burma, Zim an apology

Jacob Zuma, president of the ANC, at the recent meeting of the Tripartite Alliance, praised the three members for unanimously condemning Mugabe and his destruction of democracy in Zimbabwe. They join the Pan African Parliament, African Union and even the Southern African Development Community who are now expressing the proper concerns at events in Zimbabwe: African solidarity of the top order and which may signal the beginning of the end of tyranny on this continent.

It must not end here, but must grow if our continent is to become credible and a target for investment, rather than just the victims of the looters and rapists of the past.

It need never be a question of black or white, but rather what is right or wrong. When the trade unions took on the arms ship, they showed that black and white organisations could care for the welfare of primarily black people, putting their interests before self interest. The whole world, save for those with vested interest, applauded them for their actions. Despite what many believe, the world does want Africa to succeed and we can if we do the right thing.

More and more the ANC and its alliance partners, together with the opposition parties, are calling for policies that benefit all South Africans and Africa. In times of economic crisis we must recognise their efforts as it stands us in good stead for the long haul.

In the same vein we must also recognise fault in order that we do not repeat our mistakes. In this regard we have twice now seen our team at the United Nations security council back dictatorships — Burma and Zimbabwe — where resolutions were tabled to intervene against these monsters.

In the case of Burma, South Africa voted with China and Russia against taking action against the military junta. The result has been a major humanitarian disaster occassioned not by the cyclone, but rather in addition to it, because the junta refuses to allow aid to reach the victims timeously. They want only military aid to reach the people so they could look good before their disgusting referendum to entrench military rule.

As a result tens of thousands of these people will die from neglect, arising from these military barbarians’ refusal to timeously sanction aid being delivered by the world.

Collateral damage arose from a failure by the United Nations to intervene in Burma because Russia, China and South Africa blocked the resolution calling for it. At the time Archbishop Desmond Tutu was scathing on our disgusting conduct: “”I am deeply disappointed by our vote. It is a betrayal of our own noble past. Many in the international community can hardly believe it. It is inexplicable,” Tutu said in an email to The Associated Press.

At the time, South Africa’s UN envoy Dumisani Kumalo was at pains to point out that South Africa was indeed concerned about the situation in Burma, but did not feel that a strongly worded resolution was the appropriate way of engaging with the government in that country.

Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Aziz Pahad said in a statement that while they were concerned with the situation the vote against the resolution was technical. Perhaps these two gentlemen might want to now take a trip Burma and set out the details of the technicality and the rationale behind their thinking.

Perhaps they might want to pin up a picture of the dead bodies piled up in Burma just above their mirror so that every morning they can congratulate themselves on their achievements. Actions occassion results, gentlemen, have a look at what yours did.

Some of you may also recall the “interesting stance” our United Nation’s team took on gay rights and rape not too long ago. In the case of the latter they vetoed a resolution because the wording wasn’t wide enough. In reality it was probably down to the fact that the United Nations tabled the resolution. I’m sure however that rape victims are comforted by the fact that some day a wide enough definition, tabled by some dictatorship, will come along so that South Africa can vote for it.

And finally Zimbabwe, which I have set out in great detail in this blog. Here we raced to the United Nations to put a spoke into the British interest in forcing the planet to act against the butcher of Zimbabwe. I trust that when Zimbabe is free the architects of “quiet diplomacy” will be man enough to pop accross and tell our brothers in Zimbabwe why they did it. Good luck and don’t forget to speak from the inside of a tank parked in the middle of a police station.

When you play political games with people’s lives there are consequences: In Burma and Zimbabwe a mountain of bodies are testimony to “quiet diplomacy” and the technicalities which seem to haunt our vote every time we are called upon to do the right thing.

I’m sure you had compelling reasons for what you did guys, all I’m asking you to do is have the guts to go and explain them to the victims.