The Sowetan (Johannesburg)
Waghied Misbach
10 October 2001
Political parties were sharply divided in Parliament yesterday in the wake of the United States and British attacks on Afghanistan, with one party calling it an act of terror, while others supported the action.
However, the Government and the ruling African National Congress has remained silent on the issue.
Mr Ronnie Mamoepa, spokesman for Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad, told Sowetan the government was still trying to determine the nature of the US attacks on Afghanistan.
"We will issue a more comprehensive statement as soon as we have all the details," Mamoepa said.
The Azanian People's Organisation slammed the United States and Britain for their "terrorist attack" on the Afghan people, said Mr Pandelani Nefolovhodwe, the party's deputy secretary.
"The US and Britain's attack on Afghanistan, or any other people for that matter, does not help the process of finding a common programme to fight terrorism. The United Nations is the forum where this should have happened.
"Attacks against innocent people, whether in Afghanistan or elsewhere, is an act of terror.
This is the same as they did in Iraq, where they attacked without waiting for a common programme by all the nations."
Nefolovhodwe added that other measures could have been applied against Afghanistan, including sanctions.
Dr Motsoko Pheko of the Pan Africanist Congress criticised the United States and Britain for taking "unilateral" action by attacking Afghanistan.
"Any action taken against terrorism must be carried out under the auspices of the United Nations. It is important that the nations of the world do not use the United Nations as they please.
"What we have seen is a group of Western countries taking a decision unilaterally," Pheko said.
Democratic Alliance leader Mr Tony Leon said his party supported the action of the United States and Britain.
"The DA fully supports military efforts by the United States and its allies against military installations and terrorist bases in Afghanistan."
The African Christian Democratic Party's Reverend Kenneth Meshoe said he would support the US attacks if it did not hit civilians and if there was conclusive proof that Osama bin Laden was involved.
"Those responsible for the attacks on the United States should be rounded up and punished. What the US and Britain have done should be supported, as long as civilians are not hurt," Meshoe said.
"They claim to have conclusive evidence that Osama bin Laden was involved. If they have this evidence and are supported by the United Nations, we should support them," Meshoe said.
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