South Africa

Got some love from Lemmer in the latest M&G :

 

The trouble with the Internet, said Dok Rabie this week, is that it never allows you to forget your mistakes or escape your hypocrisies. The manne asked him what he meant, and he referred them to a posting by a wickedly retrospective blogger on southafrica.blogspirit.com. “The international campaign for the isolation of the regime should continue and be intensified,” said firebrand Thabo Mbeki in an address to anti-apartheid activists in Switzerland in 1989. “The overwhelming majority of humanity supports that position. Yet the American policy of ‘constructive engagement’, is leading the United States into increased collusion with Pretoria. This course can only strengthen apartheid ...” Cut to 2004, with the firebrand now a president: “If necessary I can phone [Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe] every day, I can travel to Harare every day. It’s not a problem if there is a need for that kind of engagement.” Damn this easy access to information!

 

So, by popular request I'm bouncing "The Miseducation Of Thabo on Zimbabwe.."

 

Struggle Thabo 

“At the same time, the Reagan Administration continues to propagate a deliberate falsehood by saying that change is taking place in South Africa” – Thabo Mbeki, New York Times "Reforming Apartheid Doesn't End Slavery" circa. early 1980’s 

Prez Thabo

“I did tell the President that, indeed, the government -- Zanu-PF and the MDC are, indeed, discussing. They are engaged in discussions on all of the matters that would be relevant to the resolution of these political and economic problems. So that process is going on. We have communicated the message to both sides that -- indeed, as we agreed with the President -- that it is very, very important that they should move forward with urgency to find a resolution to these questions.” - Thabo Mbeki, Press Conference, 9 July 2003   

Reality

Here Here and Here

Struggle Thabo

“The international campaign for the isolation of the regime should continue and be intensified…It was to expedite change that the people of South Africa called on the rest of the world to disengage itself from contact with apartheid. The overwhelming majority of humanity supports that position. Yet the American policy of "constructive engagement" is leading the United States into increased collusion with Pretoria. This course can only strengthen apartheid...”. - Thabo Mbeki, Address to Anti- Apartheid Activists in Switzerland, September 1989 

Prez Thabo 

"If necessary I can phone him everyday, I can travel to Harare everyday. It's not a problem if there is a need for that kind of engagement," - Thabo Mbeki, Press Conference New York, Friday 24 September 2004.

The Reality 

Here Here and Here

Struggle Thabo

"Thus, it is possible for President Reagan to denounce all manner of countries for their "violations of human rights." Yet he breathes not a word about the horrors of the apartheid system…The problem arises when the South African regime acts in a manner that clearly reveals its abhorrent and unacceptable nature. - Thabo Mbeki, New York Times - "Peaceful Struggle Is Futile" circa. early 1980’s.  

Prez Thabo

'It is clear some within Zimbabwe and elsewhere in the world, including our country, are following the example set by [Ronald] Reagan and his advisers to "treat human rights as a tool" for overthrowing the government of Zimbabwe and rebuilding Zimbabwe as they wish.” - Thabo Mbeki in letter after Commonwealth meeting 2005.  

The Reality

Here Here and Here

Struggle Thabo

"Out there, beyond the confines of this comfortable room, there are many who are dying from hunger and from diseases of poverty. And yet there sit in this room men and women of great ability, many of whom received awards tonight, who should, together with the working people of our country, be creating the wealth which should make this a happy land and one which should experience a permanent season of peace and goodwill among all its people. Thabo Mbeki, Annual Banquet of the Sunday Times, 26 November 1990.

Prez Thabo  

“…” - Thabo Mbeki, Speech on Human Rights abuses in Zimbabwe 1999-2005.

The Reality

"The government continued its campaign of repression aimed at eliminating political opposition and silencing dissent. Hundreds of people were arrested for holding meetings or participating in peaceful protests. The police, army, supporters of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and youth militia were implicated in numerous human rights violations, including torture, assault and arbitrary detention. Despite compelling evidence that Zimbabwe would continue to experience food shortages, the government terminated most international food aid programmes. In December parliament passed legislation banning foreign human rights groups from operating in Zimbabwe and imposing restrictions on local human rights organizations, including prohibiting them from receiving foreign funding for human rights work...