ANC speaks out for MDC

2005-01-17 13:02

Johannesburg - If Zimbabwe's elections are to be declared free and fair the Movement for Democratic (MDC) should be allowed to hold public meetings, African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe said on Monday.

Addressing the media after the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla at the weekend, Motlanthe expressed concern that the MDC still required permission to hold public meetings.

"We have been concerned about several things. The MDC is a party that participates in parliament and it controls several municipalities. This position impairs their ability to interact with their constituencies."

He said the ANC was continuously talking to the ruling Zanu-PF party about this issue.

"Over the years we have been continually saying to them that you cannot have a properly registered party restricted in this way."

Asked about the Congress of SA Trade Union's (Cosatu) impending revisit to Zimbabwe, he said the union federation was free to do as they pleased.

"Cosatu can send a fact-finding mission every other week if they want. But you cannot just defy the laws of the country you are visiting."

During their last visit Cosatu delegates were deported.

Motlanthe suggested that Cosatu's behaviour had more to do with creating media hype than familiarising themselves with the situation in Zimbabwe.

- SAPA