Adiel Ismail
24 December 2008
Archbishop Desmond Tutu launched a blistering attack on the South African government on Wednesday for failing to use its influence in the United Nations Security Council to oust President Robert Mugabe from power.
The Nobel peace laureate's comments came after Mugabe claimed African leaders were not brave enough to ask him to step down.
Interviewed by BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Tutu said he was "deeply distressed" over South Africa's stance on the soaring humanitarian crises and political deadlock that had gripped neighbouring Zimbabwe since September.
"I certainly am ashamed of what they (South Africa) have done in the United Nations.
"It's awful to think… I was amongst those who have suggested that Mr Mugabe be given a soft landing."
Tutu said he hoped – albeit "futilely" – that the African Union could use the "threat" of force to remove Mugabe.
"He needs to be warned and his cronies must be warned that the world is not just going to sit by and do nothing, it is going to try to remove them and in addition he (Mugabe) is going to be charged before the ICC" (the International Criminal Court in The Hague).
South Africa had betrayed its legacy by allowing the Zimbabwean crises to unfold, Tutu said.
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Dear Archbishop Tutu
You should above all be deeply ashamed of no one else but yourself : when earlier you were so desperately fighting for the liberation of South Afica, you were so extremely naive - and here, out of politeness I am not using the far more appropriate terms - as to believe that the moment the ANC boys come into power, well, Heaven on Earth will instantly descend all over South Africa. Yes indeed, you should be terribly ashamed of yourself that you so utterly failed the most elementary test of wisdom in this regard. As for the ANC boys, well, hardly without any exception, their top dogs have been, and still are but the usual run of the mill miserable politicians. So then, dear ARCH, as you asked us to call you during earlier times, can you think of doing anything at all which may in any way at all compensante at last for your extreme naivity about human affairs, and among them, politics ?
The illegal Mugabe regime must indeed be chastised from inside the country, as much as it is by the civilised world.
Jallohlaw, Takunya_ndebvu and their allies must be countered by all means in order to prevent the wrong from spreading. They are the society's scums that enable the bloodstained illegal regime to continue to suck the people's blood!
It's high time Zimbabwe joins the club of civilised nations!
Down with bloodstained Mugabe! Wake up, rise up Zimbos. You have strong personalities like Tutu, Mandela and countries like Botswana and Zambia who are ready to asist you to kick out murderer Mugabe!
Jallohlaw, Takunya_ndebvu & their group will just hide themselves fearing a backlash!
Archbishop Desmond Tutu cannot be wrong in his opinion regarding South Africa’s abysmal accountability to Zimbabwe. By taking sides with Mugabe’s brutal regime in Zimbabwe, South African ANC shows a disintegration of political and moral accountability to fight for the exploited. Proping up that corrupt dictataship is all the more objectionable than when Apartheid supported Rhodesia because it is not just black Africans oppressing other black Africans but a small faction of dishonest megalomaniacs destroying a beautiful country and a excellent economy. We hope that the ordinary peoples of South Africa will understand this soon enough before the ANC destroys South Africa in the same way ZANU-PF has destroyed Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe did not leberate Zimbabwe. It was all the Zimbabweans who supported the freedom fighters. Mugabe was never in the bushes of Rhodesia fighting! It’s a legend. He was busy assassinating other potential leaders of Zimbabwe in the Front Line States! Besides he is illegitimately holding on to power when the Zimbabweans have voted him out! There is no legal government in Zimbabwe and Mugabe and his thugs should release all those they have illegally arrested or kidnapped. It is them who should be arrested and tried for treason, mass slaughter and breach of fundamental human rights! Other countries especially Britain should not just threaten but take concret action to pressure South Africa to follow the example of Botswana and Zambia and take steps to remove the illegal regime of Mugabe. Britain has a moral obligation and a legasy to help the Zimbabweans who have chosen their new leaders. Britain doesn’t need the permission of Russia or China when the Commonwealth countries like Australia, Canada and India are prepared to asssist the citizens of Zimbabwe in a multitude of useful ways.
Tutu should keep his focus on Gaza because at least he knows what's going on there. Right now, he's just regurgitating the same old Western talking points and his uneducated opinion about what's going on in Zimbabwe which isn't going to help anyone.
Mugabe isn't going anywhere unless Zimbabwe has a mass uprising or an outside invasion. You think it's bad now when Zimbabwe is in relative peace? Just wait until force is used by the West and their puppets. It must be easy to cheer on instigators like the UN -- but /YOU/ aren't the one who is going to live through the carnage that will follow. Even if MDC comes to power, what makes you fools think the war veterans are going to accept it?
If the MDC really wanted change, they would have accepted Mugabe's constitution changes in 2000 which would have had Mugabe out of office by 2012 if it had been passed. How has your impatience paid off, fools? MDC's greed and lust for power is what caused this mess... nothing more, nothing less.
You hit the nail on the head there bokk. We have seen Tutu thirty years ago in the form of Muzorewa. He really does look like the rhodie puppet and his Zimbabwe-rhodesia was a joke! The hardship in Zimbabwe today is the fault of the puppet MDC sleeping in the same bed with the U.K Shame on them for loosing focus of what the liberation struggle really meant. Morgan could stop the suffering right now if he wanted to but he wont because his 'baas'( Big Boss) will get very angry with him. All they have to do is lift the illegal sanctions to change the situation.
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu cannot be wrong in his opinion regarding South Africa’s abysmal accountability to Zimbabwe. By taking sides with Mugabe’s brutal regime in Zimbabwe, South African ANC shows a disintegration of political and moral accountability to fight for the exploited. Proping up that corrupt dictataship is all the more objectionable than when Apartheid supported Rhodesia because it is not just black Africans oppressing other black Africans but a small faction of dishonest megalomaniacs destroying a beautiful country and a excellent economy. We hope that the ordinary peoples of South Africa will understand this soon enough before the ANC destroys South Africa in the same way ZANU-PF has destroyed Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe did not leberate Zimbabwe. It was all the Zimbabweans who supported the freedom fighters. Mugabe was never in the bushes of Rhodesia fighting! It’s a legend. He was busy assassinating other potential leaders of Zimbabwe in the Front Line States! Besides he is illegitimately holding on to power when the Zimbabweans have voted him out! There is no legal government in Zimbabwe and Mugabe and his thugs should release all those they have illegally arrested or kidnapped. It is them who should be arrested and tried for treason, mass slaughter and breach of fundamental human rights! Other countries especially Britain should not just threaten but take concret action to pressure South Africa to follow the example of Botswana and Zambia and take steps to remove the illegal regime of Mugabe. Britain has a moral obligation and a legasy to help the Zimbabweans who have chosen their new leaders. Britain doesn’t need the permission of Russia or China when the Commonwealth countries like Australia, Canada and India are prepared to asssist the citizens of Zimbabwe in a multitude of useful ways.