Tutu slams South Africa's stand on Zimbabwe
By John Chiahemen
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) - South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu rebuked
his government Monday for its dogged support of Zimbabwe, which is facing growing
international isolation over its human rights record.
In an emotional statement, he rejected arguments used by both Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has denounced the
Commonwealth for extending its suspension of Zimbabwe at a summit this month.
"I am at a loss to understand the reasoning for a lifting of the suspension of
Zimbabwe," said the Nobel laureate, who won global fame for fighting racism in South
Africa and for helping to lead a drive for reconciliation when white rule there ended.
Zimbabwe responded to its suspension by withdrawing from the 54-nation group of mainly
former British colonies, which originally suspended it after concluding that Mugabe
rigged his 2002 re-election and was persecuting his opponents.
"What most observers seem to say is that the unsatisfactory status quo which led to
the suspension remains unchanged," said Tutu, whose statement did not mention Mbeki by
name, but picked holes in his argument and his endorsement of Mugabe's election.
Mbeki had implicitly backed Mugabe's argument that "white Commonwealth" members,
notably Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, were punishing Zimbabwe for
Mugabe's policy of seizing white-owned farms for landless blacks.
Aid agencies say disruption to agriculture caused by the farm seizures is partly to
blame for chronic food shortages likely to affect more than five million Zimbabweans
by year end.
Tutu drew a parallel between Zimbabwe's isolation and South Africa's own battle
against white minority rule, or apartheid, which ended in 1994.
"We appealed for the world to intervene and interfere in South Africa's internal
affairs. We could not have defeated apartheid on our own," Tutu said. "What is sauce
for the goose must be sauce for the gander too."
12/15/03 13:16 ET
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