Hon Speaker, hon members, as far as we know there are no such investigations taking place and, thus our government is therefore not being requested to contribute towards such investigations.
What we do know as the government of South Africa is that the United Nations Secretary-General appointed, on 22 June 2010, a three-member United Nations Panel of Experts to advise him on accountability issues relating to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the Sri Lankan conflict.
The panel, which consists of Mr Marzuki Darusman, an Indonesian who is also chairperson of the panel, Ms Yasmin Sooka, a South African, and Mr Steven Ratner of the United States, officially commenced its work on 16 September 2010. The deadline date for submissions in this regard was set at 31 December 2010.
As of March this year, we are aware that a Sri Lankan government delegation met with the UN panel in New York. The UN panel was expected to issue its report to the United Nations Secretary-General, but decided to postpone the issuance of the report by two to three weeks.
Once again, may I state that we are not aware of any investigation of war crimes in Sri Lanka. We know and respect the work of the Advisory Panel as established by the UN and we thus await the panel's report. I thank you.
Thank you, hon Deputy President. Is there a supplementary question?
Hon Speaker, there is no supplementary question. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Are there any other supplementary questions? If there are none, I then move on to the next question. The next question ...
Hon Speaker?
Yes, sorry, Mr Mokgalapa
Thank you, sir. Thank you, hon Deputy President for your response. We welcome your decision to abide by the UN Advisory Panel. However, sir, all war crimes should be investigated, including the one in the Ivory Coast and Libya. Would you agree with me, sir, and what is your stance on the matter? How would the South African government support the investigation? I thank you, sir.
Well, that is not a follow-up question. Indeed, the second question on my list of questions deals with Libya. So, perhaps the hon member could pose a follow-up question when we deal with that question.
Government's intentions regarding call for resignation of President Gaddafi and ending of diplomatic ties with Libya
2. Mr K S Mubu (DA) asked the Deputy President:
(1) Whether the Government will (a) call for the resignation of President Gaddafi and (b) end diplomatic ties with Libya in light of the Libyan government's killing of more than 1000 protesters; if so, when will the message be sent to the government of Libya, in each case; if not,
(2) whether the Government is able to reconcile its commitment to human rights and democracy with its refusal to call for Mr Gaddafi's resignation in light of the continued killing of Libyan citizens by the Gaddafi government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, how? NO972E
Hon Speaker and hon members, as the South African government we deeply deplore the killing of civilians under any circumstances, and we have repeatedly spoken out against the violence that has claimed the lives of innocent people in Libya.
As you may be aware, the President responded to a similar question in this House last week. As government, we have certainly not been silent on the matter of Libya, and commenced our engagement with other heads of state and governments when events started unfolding. Furthermore, as government, we have called on all parties involved to exercise restraint in order to prevent further loss of life.
The South African government has also expressed its views directly to the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, regarding the violence and loss of civilian life. We concomitantly called on the government and people of Libya to seek a speedy and peaceful resolution to the current conflict.
The President further articulated that South Africa does not operate in a vacuum on international matters, since we operate within the ambit of the African Union, as well as the United Nations.
Pursuant to government's ongoing engagements on this matter, in his Human Rights Day address two days ago, the President called for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and an end to attacks on civilians. He asserted that the UN Security Council resolution should be implemented in letter and spirit by all members of the United Nations Security Council.
Furthermore, he called for operations aimed at enforcing the no-fly zone and the protection of civilians to be limited to just that: that they should not harm or endanger the lives of civilians. Thus, our commitment as government to human rights and the protection of human life remains steadfast, and we will continue to express ourselves vociferously about the unacceptability of the loss of civilian life whenever this occurs. I thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Mr Deputy President, thank you very much for your response. One of the pillars of our foreign policy has been respect for human rights and, clearly, the situation in Libya is a good example of serious violations of human rights. Would this government, in your view, Mr Deputy President, consider the repudiation of national sovereignty in Libya and call for a regime change in that country?
Secondly, what lessons have we learned from the uprise in the north of Africa going forward, particularly in this region - Southern Africa? Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, hon Mubu, for the follow-up question. As the South African government we do not believe in regime change. We believe in the principle of noninterference in the sovereign matters of countries that are members of the United Nations.
Secondly, with regard to lessons from the developments in the north of Africa, that is really a matter of historical logic because most of those countries have not experienced democracy. They have been ruled by kings, sheiks, sultans, and so on. The peoples of these countries are demanding basic democratic rights. We believe that they are within their rights to do so. We hope that indeed democracy will be established and consolidated in those parts of the world.
We here in South Africa are different in the sense that we have, over centuries, evolved into a nation. Most of those countries consist of tribes that were colonised and at a certain point were then given independence. Therefore, they were compelled to form states, and it is these states that have been trying to form nations. Therefore, this is, in a sense, a phase in that evolution and development. In a nutshell, what I'm saying is that South Africa is different because we evolved as a nation over centuries. Thank you.
Thank you, hon Speaker, and Deputy President. As the ANC, and indeed the people of South Africa, we condemn the loss of life of civilians from all quarters. Our heartfelt condolences go to all the people in Libya in this extremely trying time.
Could the Deputy President, in terms of the reply that he gave, elaborate a little bit further on South Africa's views with regard to a speedier resolution of the conflict in Libya, so that the UN resolution ensures protection of the lives of civilians in Libya? Thank you.
Thank you, hon Speaker. Hon members, the people of Libya themselves are demanding that the regime under Colonel Gaddafi step aside, so that they can establish their own government. The situation is very fluid. Today, the announcement is that they have now established an interim government. As we know, the enforcement of the no-fly zone entails the act of neutralising antiaircraft capabilities, as well as the radar systems of Libya. The countries that have been involved in the enforcement of this no-fly zone are also eager, not to occupy Libya, but to create the space for Libyan citizens to fashion their own form of government as peacefully as is possible.
Of course, the Gaddafi-led forces continue to attack, particularly those areas and cities where there has been resistance. The point is that at least the Libyan people are calling for the opportunity to establish a government that will not involve Muammar Gaddafi and, therefore, one that will be an expression of the will of the people of Libya. Thank you.
Government's plans to eradicate poverty in targeted areas
3. Mr L S Ngonyama (Cope) asked the Deputy President:
Whether the Government had any plans other than those predicated on economic growth of 3% or more to eradicate poverty in at least 100 communities by 2011; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are these parallel plans that the Government has been using to eradicate poverty in targeted areas and (b) what are the further relevant details?