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Mbeki:
Cosatu 'showed contempt' for Mugabe
Mail
& Guardian
November 06, 2004
http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?cg=BreakingNews-National&ao=125104
President Thabo
Mbeki on Friday described as "astounding" the original approach
by the Congress of South African Trade Unions to President Robert
Mugabe about its intention to conduct a fact-finding mission in
Zimbabwe.
In his weekly
letter on the African National Congress website, ANC Today, Mbeki
said Zimbabwe's Financial Gazette newspaper had reported 16 months
ago that the secretary general of Cosatu [Zwelinzima Vavi] had written
to Mugabe requesting that he should "grant an audience to our delegation".
Mbeki said the
report further added that Cosatu had said "the delegation also wanted
to see Zimbabwe Minister of Labour, Paul Mangwana, and requested
that President Mugabe should assist the delegation to meet the Minister".
"He [Vavi] had
requested Mugabe to 'revert back to us about suitable dates and
times for a meeting'.
He went further
to advise President Mugabe 'to direct all enquiries to our International
Relations Secretary, Simon Boshielo in our head office or alternatively
at [mobile]'.
Mbeki added:
"Presumably Cosatu expected that President Mugabe, a head of state,
would accept that the situation in Zimbabwe justified that a South
African trade union federation should send a political fact-finding
mission, whose fact-finding activities he should facilitate, and
with which he should then communicate, through its International
Relations Secretary, to indicate:
- when he would
meet the Cosatu delegation;
- what arrangements
he had made for the delegation to meet the Minister of Labour;
and,
- which other
organisations the delegation should meet".
Mbeki said Cosatu's
approach showed contempt for a head of state, and a sovereign government,
and "could not have created a climate conducive to serious discussions".
"The best that
could have been expected as a response to the letter was no response."
- Sapa
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