The United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday the U.S. and South Africa are working together to realise democracy, freedom and prosperity in Zimbabwe.
Briefing journalists in Pretoria after meeting South Africa's International Relations Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Clinton said they were working together to realise the vision of a free, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe.
Analysts said the pledge signals a shift in tone between Pretoria and Washington, with relations uneasy in recent years due to sharp disagreements over Zimbabwe under former president Thabo Mbeki.
"We're going to be closely consulting as to how best to deal with what is a very difficult situation for South Africa and for the United States, but mostly for the people of Zimbabwe," Clinton told journalists on the second stop of a seven-nation African tour.
The US has been one of the fiercest critics of Robert Mugabe, pushing for urgent reforms under the new inclusive government with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
Clinton said they urged Zuma's new government to get Zimbabwe to raise the pace of political reform, which has been too slow for donors to release substantial amounts of aid.
"There is no need for promises. South Africa is very aware of the challenges posed by the political crisis in Zimbabwe because South Africa has 3 million refugees from Zimbabwe," Clinton said.
"And every one of those refugees represents a failure of the Zimbabwean government to care for its own people and a burden that South Africa has to bear," she added.
The U.S and the European Union both maintain a travel ban and asset freeze on Mugabe, his wife and his inner circle after accusing him of rigging his re-election, and also alleging human rights abuses by his regime.
"We are attempting to target the leaders of Zimbabwe with sanctions that we think might influence their behaviour, without hurting the people of Zimbabwe," said Clinton.
Speaking in Nairobi on Thursday, Clinton said she would ask South Africa to 'use its influence to mitigate against the negative effects of the continuing Presidency of President Mugabe.'
A tougher stance in the past by South Africa's new President Jacob Zuma has raised hopes for a stronger relationship with the US. Clinton is due to meet Zuma on Saturday to discuss Zimbabwe.
The South African leader pledged this week to raise the 'weighty issues' plaguing the unity government with Mugabe after a briefing with Tsvangirai.
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HILLARY TAKE A LOOK BACK WHEN IAN SMITH LED RHODESIA. AMPLE FOOD AMPLE MONEY FROM COPPER . GREAT TOURIST INDUSTRY . HILLARY GET IAN SMITH BACK PROBLEM SOLVED . GIVE THE MILLIONS OBAMA HAS GIVEN TO RHODESIA TO OUR SCHOOL TEACHERS. WE NEED TO TEACH A LITTLE CORRECT HISTORY .
Hillary Clinton is a shameless racist without any conscience.Zimbabweans are well aware that this woman pushed for the imposition of ZDERA illegal economic sanctions law with the help of MDC inorder to destabilize Zimbabwe and sabbotage the country's economy in a bid to dislodge the Revolutionary,African hero President Mugabe because of his decision to give land to the black majority.The United States subsequently used ZDERA to subbotage foreign direct investment, subotage crucial trade markets of Zim and more openly cutting off of credit lines from all financial institutions.ZDERA has , since 2001 been used to sponsor subversive activities by the MDC and quasi opposition groupings to resulting in socio political problems plaguing our lives .Those 3 million economic refugges are a direct consequence of the West's ruinous policy towards Zim for the past decade which Clinton shamelessly defends.That kind of arrogant grandstanding by Clinton will not work in this part of the world whose memories of apartheid that the witch and her gvt shamelessly supported up to the end.Zimbabweans fought for their own liberation from a British & U.S backed oppressive regime of Ian Smith. We have reiterated it again and again that the GPA is a SADC and AU solution , it's not an American or British project. The United States made it clear long time ago that they don't support it, so why try to pretend and talk about the so called 'reforms'.Clinton should not think africans are stupid because we all know that the 'reforms' the United States and Britain are demanding are the deposition of Cde Mugabe , reversal of land reform programme and to make our country their client state.Over our dead bodies. United states is always after its racist,capitalist interests in any part of the world and never cares about ordinary people, and they will do whatever it takes to ensure those interests are protected including bludgeoning a poor country's economy to its knees.Clinton will be fooling herself if she thinks President Zuma can succumb to US's sinister agenda on Zimbabwe.Zuma is a seasoned veteran who knows what the US is all about and he will never allow himself to be bullied like a kid by imperialists.
Tak/Mab (I can't tell the difference between you two):
There is NOTHING illegal about Zidera! And the likes of you calling our Secretary of State a racist won't do anything to change that, was Condaleeza Rice a racist too? However, to your point, the U.S. has, in it's sovereignty, decided not to "do business" with the ZANU-PF/Mugabe kleptocracy in Zimbabwe and it's none of your business!
For us in the U.S., it is an internal matter, so stop interfering in our internal affairs!
Simply because many companies that operate in the real world now have to choose between doing business in ZImbabwe or doing business in the U.S. doesn't mean the sanctions in place against less than 200 people in Zimbabwe are "illegal". We (the U.S.) have decided with who we will do business and with whom we will not.
But again - it's an internal matter, and none of your business, yet that does not make it "illegal".
Stop the nonsense about the "legality" of the sanctions ZANU-PF/Mugabe face. If they were not so intransigent, companies and investors would not have to choose between doing business in Zimbabwe versus the U.S..
Besides, it is OUR sovereign right to choose who we do business with! Stop interfering in our internal matters!
Besides, you are now "Totally Empowered!", what use have you and the rest of the ZANU-PF/Mugabe apologists for an imperialist country like the U.S.?
"Total Empowerment!" Remember that? Didn't Comrade Bob promise you "Total Empowerment!"?
What? You mean to tell me that Zimbabwe is NOT "Totally Empowered!"? How can that be? I mean, if Comrade Bob promised "Total Empowerment" then certainly Zimbabwe MUST be "Totally Empowered!" by now, shouldn't it?
"Total Empowerment!"
I think Mugabe meant to say 'Total Impoverishment' because he usually gets what he wants.
Hey takunya mabhiza your country was long on its knees WAY before ZDERA. If your rotten leader Mugabe had not crapped all over Zimbabwe there never would have been ZDERA. In fact you should be thankful to Mrs Clinton for trying to stop the flow of Mugabe's diarrhea or your country would have reached a place of no return by now. Deep down you know Mugabe has messed up big time. Millions of people do not just decide to run away from their motherland all at once unless there is a blood-thirsty dictator and killer.
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