Robert Mugabe's planned presence at Saturday's inauguration ceremony for South African President elect Jacob Zuma has sparked an outcry from human rights activists and pressure groups in South Africa.
Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai have both been invited to attend the ceremony as Zimbabwe's joint leaders, despite the bitter rivals being locked in tense crisis talks aimed at resolving outstanding issues of the unity government. The stability of the coalition deal has come under threat by Mugabe's repeated violations of the Global Political Agreement, which South Africa as current chair of SADC, brokered.
Pressure group Afriforum, has urged the South African authorities to drop its invitation for Mugabe to attend the multi-million rand event. But the call has fallen on deaf ears, with Mugabe set to jet into the country on Friday night. Afriforum instead took the protest a step further this week, putting up posters around the Union Buildings, where the inauguration ceremony will take place. The posters read "Mugabe go home!" and were swiftly torn down by police officials, while Afriforum's CEO, Kallie Kriel, has been fined for breaching city by-laws.
Kriel explained to SW Radio Africa on Friday that Mugabe should not even be allowed into South Africa, in the light of the continued human rights violations in Zimbabwe. He called the unity government a 'smokescreen' for Mugabe to cling to power, and said it was a 'disgrace' that South Africa is entertaining a known rights abuser.
"The fact that Mugabe gets the red carpet treatment shortly after 18 activists were once again arrested in Zimbabwe, sends a negative message regarding the South African government's approach to human rights," Kriel added.
Kriel stated that South Africa's commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights is already being questioned, after recent events such as the decision in 2007 to oppose the UN Security Council's resolution against human rights violations in Myanmar, and more recently the refusal of a visa for the Dalai Lama. It is also ironic that the South African government has just waived visa requirements for Zimbabweans, who are flooding into South Africa because of the Mugabe regime. But at the same time the authorities welcome Mugabe, the cause of the problem, with open arms.
South Africa also faces complaints over invitations extended to King Mswati III of Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarch, and Sudan President Omar al-Beshir, who is the target of an international arrest warrant on war crimes charges. Beshir is reportedly not going to attend the ceremony, and is instead sending an envoy in his place.
Meanwhile Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, who has been critically vocal not only of Mugabe but also of President-Elect Zuma, will not be attending the event. Tutu has openly displayed his dissatisfaction with Zuma as the country's next leader, even calling on South Africans to vote against Zuma during the elections. But it's understood Tutu's absence from Saturday's inauguration is only a result of a scheduling clash.
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You can trust Alex Bell for such rubbish and irrelavent article. As usual nobody can confirm this story. Alex bell 10,000 miles away know everything and little details about what leaders of SADC do...What a job this article is. If gossip and rumpours constitute open media or intergrate in media, then we are in trouble! What a waste of valuated space on his blog!!
You can imagine what agenda this article is mearnt to serve.Lies lies and more lies.All the way from London.It might not be surprising though. The Lord must heal such minds.
Phiri, you were right.Infact,Alex Bell should have done his research. President Mugabe was given a resounding welcome at the Union Buildings yesterday.It was like his inauguration. Know why it is always so? The so called pressure groups mentioned are against land redistribution and the land question is contagious in Africain in general and South Africa in particular. So, wait and see, with Zuma, land is going back to the owners.Kriel can cry his sorrows out but he cannot stop anything. Wait and see.
Let this neo-colonial juno know, that i was at the Union Building, and Mugabe is still the only tru African hero alive, save you anglo-puppet Nelson Mandela. We cheered for him and we love him whole heartedly. And as for your Mr. Juno keep the west similling your ways are already clear to us, you tricks have ceased to amuze us. We are africans and when our elders fight for what is rightfully ours, you anglo-sponsored "human rights" activists can go to hell. Where were this puppet activists when Afrikaaners where busy crushing the African race?
Interesting! You've just gone and justified all the non humane things that the Afrikaans did to the black population. You say human rights can go to hell, so its ok to do these bad things. You're looking at doing these same things so does that make you a better person? Or the same? How does it feel to be exactly the person you hate?
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