Mugabe´s reign will last for as long as Zimbabwe´s neighbours remain silent about their misgivings, it was said in a seminar in Oslo last month. Now, Zimbabweans abroad have strongly condemned South Africa for blocking the condemnation of Zimbabwe by a United Nations committee. This shows that President Thabo Mbeki supports the repressive and authoritarian regime in Zimbabwe. (29-NOV-04)
  
This article was first published in today´s Daily News in Zimbabwe. It has been re-edited for publication here.

Human rights lawyer Gabriel Shumba told Daily News Online that the time for being diplomatic with South Africa in the face of such betrayal was over. -Zimbabweans must start looking to other regions for solutions to the crisis at home. South Africa blocked on Wednesday a motion at the UN by western countries to condemn Zimbabwe and Sudan for gross human rights violations. “South Africa has betrayed the trust that the Zimbabwean population has bestowed on its leadership and every Zimbabwean feels disillusioned by such a betrayal” said Shumba. He said Mbeki has kept quiet while thousands of Zimbabweans were being tortured by Mugabe but was quick to act when action was about to be taken against Harare.

-Time to look beyond South Africa for help
“Mbeki is awfully dishonest when it comes to dealing with the Zimbabwean crisis,” said Shumba adding that Mbeki had in the past told United States´ President George Bush that he was trying his best to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis when in fact he is colluding with Mugabe to violate the human rights of Zimbabweans. He said in view of the stance taken by Mbeki´s government, Zimbabweans must look beyond South Africa for assistance in bringing normalcy to the country. Shumba said Zimbabweans in South Africa support the proposed blockade by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) of Zimbabwe´s borders.

-Trade unions will be mobilised
COSATU secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi last week said COSATU would mobilise southern African trade unions in the next few weeks to march to Zimbabwean embassies in their respective countries and blockade borders with Zimbabwe. The US-based Association of Zimbabweans Abroad condemned the action by South Africa and said they viewed it as a “stain on the rich African culture which is rooted in respect for life.” “This association calls upon the United Nations General Assembly president and United Nations secretary-general, to establish a UN fact-finding mission to determine the extent and impact of the political crisis in Zimbabwe,” the association said in a statement.