Back to Index , Back to March 18 Index

Opinions, Comments and Submissions
March 18, 2002

Open letter to President Mbeki
by Learnmore Ndlovu

I was dismayed when I heard that almost all African countries, had congratulated Mr Mugabe on his recent election "victory".

You know, as well as anyone else in the world, that he "won" through intimidation, violence, murder, torture, vote-rigging and disenfranchising as many people as possible he thought would vote against him. You are fully aware how the opposition were denied any forum on which to campaign and yet you support him. You are fully aware of the breakdown of law and order and the bias by the Police against any perceived opposition supporter.

By accepting Mr Mugabe's "victory" as "legitimate" in an election which everyone has to know was flawed, are you not stating that South Africa does not uphold the principles of Democracy in your own country let alone Africa.

Is this the image that you want to portray to the world that South Africa does condone seriously flawed
elections and the suppression of democracy.

Are you prepared to accept Mr Mugabe's "victory" as legitimate because you would accept such an election in South Africa.?

I think that the world and the people of Zimbabwe looked to South Africa to remain the one and only
remaining stronghold of democratic rule in Africa.

Your Independence gave you majority rule, yet you accept that Zimbabwe should return to minority rule. Is there any difference between white minority rule and repressive laws, and black minority rule and repressive laws?

Mr Mbeki, you have failed not only South Africa, but Africa as a whole

Learnmore Ndlovu
Harare
Zimbabwe

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP