Deputy Speaker, the DA calls on President Jacob Zuma to explain the ANC government's failure to publicly condemn the Mugabe administration's flouting of a 2008 SADC Tribunal Ruling, which declared Zimbabwe's Land Reform Programme as unlawful.
Following yesterday's delivery of his report on Zimbabwe at the SADC Summit, the President refused to publicly address the considerable obstacles hindering the establishment of a democratic dispensation in that country. His muted stance on Zimbabwe's brazen contempt for the tribunal's ruling has further undermined the legitimacy of the highly respected SADC Tribunal and that of the SADC itself.
The ANC government's evasive approach to the Zimbabwean political situation has seen it resorting to court action to keep the contents of various reports regarding the Zimbabwean political situation out of the public domain. The report, compiled by Judges Dikgang Moseneke and Sisi Khampepe about the fairness of Zimbabwe's 2002 presidential election, and the infamous general's report commissioned by former President Mbeki are two such examples.
President Zuma's smoke and mirrors policy regarding Zimbabwe has allowed President Mugabe's despotic tendencies to flourish and the rights of South African citizens in Zimbabwe to be repeatedly and systematically abused. This deserves a full explanation. I thank you. [Applause.]