Zim, SA links 'unaffected'

2004-10-28 16:23

Harare - Zimbabwe's relations with South Africa have not been affected by the deportation of factfinders from South Africa's main labour union federation earlier this week, the foreign minister was quoted as saying on Thursday.

Stan Mudenge was quoted by Zimbabwe state radio as saying a 13-member team from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) was "invited" to leave after they defied a ban by Harare and embarked on a factfinding mission.

"What Zimbabwe did was to invite them out," the radio quoted Mudenge as saying.

"There is no souring of relations between Pretoria and Harare because these people decided to do their own thing against the laws of South Africa and against the laws of Zimbabwe."

The Cosatu team was allowed to enter late on Monday if they agreed not to meet with certain civic groups, a condition they refused to accept.

The Zimbabwe government had earlier turned down an application by Cosatu to visit, saying the motive for their visit was "political", as 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, amid an outcry from trade union officials on both sides of the border.

Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was Thursday expected to introduce a motion in parliament condemning the deportation.

- AFP