Cosatu dropped at border
2004-10-27 07:22
Johannesburg - Delegates from the Congress of SA Trade Unions mission to Zimbabwe were left at the Beitbridge border post by Zimbabwean police early on Wednesday morning.
After being taken to the border by bus overnight, without being told where they were going, they were escorted into South Africa, and then left, said head of the delegation, and Cosatu deputy president, Violet Shibone.
"We are arranging transport to Johannesburg for ourselves. We don't know when we will get there," she told Sapa.
Sounding relaxed, she said the delegation felt they had accomplished their mission: "We spoke to the ZCTU (Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions) and their affiliates. We did not get to speak to any civil groups but it shows that the people shared something with us."
Shibone said she did not want to comment on the Zimbabwean government's treatment of the delegation, which was expelled from the country on Tuesday, despite a court order preventing the deportation.
Zimbabwean authorities first tried to get the 13 members of the delegation on a flight back to South Africa. However, when this plan failed, they put the delegates on a bus, telling them they were taking them to the hotel, and drove them to the border under police escort.
The delegation was on a fact-finding mission, and had planned to meet with Zimbabwe's labour movement, civil society groups, and had also requested a meeting with government.
However, last week the Zimbabwe ministry of public service, labour and social welfare said the mission was "not acceptable" because they planned to hold meetings with groups who were critical of the government of Zimbabwe.
Cosatu decided to go ahead with the mission, and flew into Zimbabwe on Monday evening.
This was received as "a direct and most frontal challenge to the sovereignty of the Republic of Zimbabwe", by Zimbabwe's information minister, who claimed they were "working with Tony Blair".
'Serious diplomatic headache for Mbeki'
South Africa's foreign affairs department responded to the deportation by saying Zimbabwe had a right to determine and apply its own immigration laws "as it may deem appropriate".
Meanwhile, Prof John Stremlau, an expert in international relations of the University of the Witwatersrand, said the latest complication has created a "serious diplomatic headache" for President Thabo Mbeki, Beeld reported.
"President Mugabe has shot himself in the foot again. Cosatu's deportation is a slap in Mbeki's face and there is no simple solution to this one. Mbeki's options are becoming fewer and fewer and quiet diplomacy will probably not work this time."
Stremlau believed Cosatu's fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe was exactly the type of action expected from South Africa.
"The world will keep a close eye on Mbeki. Remember, this is also about Mbeki's plans to secure a seat for South Africa on the United Nations' security council. How he handles the Zimbabwean situation could play a major role in this."
- SAPA