SA’s ANC slams Cosatu’s ‘contempt’ for Mugabe

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has slammed its powerful union ally for “showing contempt” toward Zimbabwe’s leader Robert Mugabe by planning a fact-finding mission there.

The ANC, which advocates a policy of “quiet diplomacy” towards Zimbabwe, said on its website that a letter from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to Mugabe about plans for a fact-finding mission there was “astounding”. “The contempt for a head of state, a sovereign government and state it communicates could not have created a climate conducive to serious discussions,” the ANC said, in an article posted late on Friday accompanying President Thabo Mbeki’s weekly letter.Zimbabwe, accused by critics of widespread human rights abuses, deported 13 South African union officials last month after they entered the country for the fact-finding mission, prompting a blistering attack by the union which compared Zimbabwe’s tactics to those of Adolf Hitler.The visit and the ensuing war of words have widened a rift between the ANC and its left-wing alliance partners over Pretoria’s policy towards its northern neighbour.Cosatu said on Saturday its aborted mission was not aimed at unseating Mugabe or embarrassing Mbeki.But it reiterated that diplomacy was not enough to haul Zimbabwe out of its political and economic quagmire.”We cannot afford to place all our eggs in the basket of diplomacy.Mass mobilisation and solidarity have an equally important role,” Cosatu said.”Apartheid South Africa would not have been brought down in 1994 purely through diplomatic pressure.”Cosatu’s attack on Zimbabwe has angered the ANC, which tolerates little dissent in its own ranks and insists that behind the scenes prodding is the only way to resolve Zimbabwe’s problems.Critics say the ANC’s Zimbabwe strategy shows it cannot bring itself to criticise an ally from the black liberation struggle against colonialism and white rule.The ANC said on Saturday the government would continue to interact with Mugabe and added “the solution to the problems of Zimbabwe lies in the hands of the people of Zimbabwe”.- Nampa-Reuters”The contempt for a head of state, a sovereign government and state it communicates could not have created a climate conducive to serious discussions,” the ANC said, in an article posted late on Friday accompanying President Thabo Mbeki’s weekly letter.Zimbabwe, accused by critics of widespread human rights abuses, deported 13 South African union officials last month after they entered the country for the fact-finding mission, prompting a blistering attack by the union which compared Zimbabwe’s tactics to those of Adolf Hitler.The visit and the ensuing war of words have widened a rift between the ANC and its left-wing alliance partners over Pretoria’s policy towards its northern neighbour.Cosatu said on Saturday its aborted mission was not aimed at unseating Mugabe or embarrassing Mbeki.But it reiterated that diplomacy was not enough to haul Zimbabwe out of its political and economic quagmire.”We cannot afford to place all our eggs in the basket of diplomacy.Mass mobilisation and solidarity have an equally important role,” Cosatu said.”Apartheid South Africa would not have been brought down in 1994 purely through diplomatic pressure.”Cosatu’s attack on Zimbabwe has angered the ANC, which tolerates little dissent in its own ranks and insists that behind the scenes prodding is the only way to resolve Zimbabwe’s problems.Critics say the ANC’s Zimbabwe strategy shows it cannot bring itself to criticise an ally from the black liberation struggle against colonialism and white rule.The ANC said on Saturday the government would continue to interact with Mugabe and added “the solution to the problems of Zimbabwe lies in the hands of the people of Zimbabwe”.- Nampa-Reuters