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AU won't condemn Zim yet
13/04/2003 22:54 - (SA)
Johannesburg - South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Sunday he would not use his position as chairman of the African Union (AU) to condemn human rights abuses in Zimbabwe because the organisation had not yet taken a position on the issue.
"You may well ask why it hasn't happened, but it hasn't," Mbeki told a conference of African editors outside Johannesburg.
Mbeki was responding to a question from a journalist representing the privately-owned Zimbabwean paper Daily News, on why he could not as chairman of the AU express himself more forcefully towards his Zimbabwean counterpart, President Robert Mugabe.
"Put your foot down," the journalist told Mbeki.
He also said that Mbeki must tell Mugabe that what is happening in Zimbabwe is wrong. If Mbeki did this, other leaders would follow suit.
Mbeki said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was dealing with the situation, including the issue of press freedom and various pieces of legislation related to press, general and political freedoms.
SADC representatives recently received copies of proposed amendments to Zimbabwean laws submitted in parliament.
"I am quite sure the region will look at the amendments to see if they address the concerns," Mbeki said.
Mbeki has been criticised for using a policy of quiet diplomacy towards Zimbabwe.
He broke his silence in late March after hundreds of people, most of them supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were arrested, detained and assaulted in the aftermath of a national anti-government work stoppage.
"We are dealing with that question with the Zimbabwean government," Mbeki told Parliament at the time.
"Indeed, we have said to the Zimbabwean government that we would not agree with actions that deny the right of Zimbabweans to protest peacefully, democratically and so on."
He said South Africa would deal with Zimbabwe in a manner that produced results.
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