Christof Maletsky
12 May 2008
Windhoek — THE International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has described as "laughable" claims by a senior Zimbabwean government official that the arms shipment carried by a Chinese ship had made its way into that country.
The ITF, along with many other international trade unions and civil society, actively campaigned that the ship, An Yue Jiang, not be allowed to offload the weapons ordered by the Zimbabwean government at regional harbours.
It left Luanda on Tuesday last week after it was allowed to refuel and the ITF said by late Friday morning the ship was approximately 120 nautical miles off the coast of Namibia, in international waters, making around 8,5 knots, a slower speed than before because it is sailing against the Benguela current.
It was well outside of Namibian territorial waters and was expected to reach Cape Town by late tonight.
It carries three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1 500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3 000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes.
The ship was recalled after pressure from civil society in the region and the refusal by dockworkers at Durban harbour to offload the weapons and later from Beira port in Mozambique, where it was refused permission to dock.
The ITF helped mobilise trade unions across southern Africa to block the delivery of the arms for Zimbabwe, and make it impossible for them to be removed from the ship on land or sea.
"For over two weeks ordinary working men and women have kept these bullets and bombs out of the hands of Mugabe's killers.
That work continues.
The ship and its cargo of destruction remain under close watch.
Any attempt to further arm the government of Zimbabwe will be resisted," said ITF General Secretary David Cockroft.
Cockroft also dismissed claims by Zimbabwe that the arms shipment was in his possession as "empty propaganda of someone who doesn't know when he's beaten".
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