Mugabe: ANC relations excellent
2004-10-28 23:13
Harare - President Robert Mugabe on Thursday said his government's relations with the South Africa's ruling party were "excellent" and condemned the recent attempt by Cosatu factfinders to enter his country, state television reported.
Mugabe's comments come a day after 13 members of the Cosatu were deported from Harare after they defied a Zimbabwe government ban.
"We have excellent relations with the ANC. We discuss our problems on a basis of mutual understanding," Mugabe said in comments broadcast on the main news bulletin.
Cosatu 'breached protocol'
However, Mugabe said that Cosatu, which is a key ally of the ANC, had breached protocol by coming to the country despite his government's ban.
"If the ANC ask us to come here, we don't fuss, we agree. We also ask them to get to South Africa, and they agree," the veteran leader said.
'Lawless elements in Cosatu'
But he noted: "Some lawless elements in Cosatu think they can breach this normalcy, this order of doing things between us and the South Africans and impose themselves on us."
The Cosatu team was allowed to enter Zimbabwe late Monday if they agreed not to meet with certain civic groups, a condition they refused to accept.
The Zimbabwe government had earlier said the motive for their visit was "political", claiming the union officials wanted to meet "anti-Zimbabwe institutions" here ahead of elections due next March.
Police detained the group on Tuesday and deported them by road to South Africa on Wednesday.
- AFP