Cape Town — The South African member of the Pan African Parliament who successfully proposed that the body should investigate reports of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe has denied that the parliament is backtracking on the decision.

Suzanne Vos, a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party of Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi, was responding to a report in the Zimbabwe government newspaper, The Herald, saying the parliament had deferred until November the adoption of a resolution on a motion she had proposed.

In emailed comments to allAfrica.com, Vos said the motion to send a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe had already been passed by 149 votes to 20, and that the parliament's rules did not require any further vote.

"I cannot conceive of this parliament 'back-tracking' on any motion which was formally tabled,  fully debated and overwhelmingly supported," she said.

"It will now be up to the bureau of the [Parliament] to decide when this mission will take place and who will be nominated by them to be members... It is entirely up to them to decide on all matters of procedure and I have the utmost confidence they will do so as soon as possible."

The Herald's report suggested that the parliament still had to decide whether or not to send a mission.

Vos said she was confident the government of Zimbabwe would comply with the parliament's decision. "Members of parliament from Zimbabwe... have given me no indication whatsoever that any moves have been made to 'back-track' on a motion which was democratically passed."