‘Media frenzy’ over the arms heading for Zimbabwe
April 17th, 2008
Apparently top dog public relations officers are required to deal with all the attention the arms shipment destined for Zimbabwe is causing in South Africa. Good. I hope it continues until the shipment is stopped.
I do not know how Thabo Mbeki can ever function as a ‘point man’ on the Zimbabwean crisis if he allows guns and bullets to pass through his country and into the hands of Zanu PF. He is hardly neutral!
Has this grabbed the attention of the media elsewhere in the world?
The SA Police Services (SAPS) and the SA Revenue Services (SARS) were on Thursday sending their top public relations officers to Durban to deal with media enquiries surrounding a Chinese ship carrying weapons destined for Zimbabwe.
Both national police spokesperson Captain Dennis Adriao and SARS spokesperson Adrian Lackay told Sapa that they were on their way to Durban and would comment on the ship once in Durban.
Enquiries over the contents of a cargo of arms aboard the An Yue Jiang have sparked a media frenzy, however various government departments have declined to comment over the ship and its cargo.
Noseweek editor Martin Welz told Sapa on Wednesday that “the cargo ship was openly delivering a containment of arms for Zimbabwe”.
He said that he had copies of all the documents.
The controversial cargo packed into 3 080 cases includes three million rounds of 7.62mm bullets (used in the AK47 assault rifle), 69 Rocket Propelled Grenades as well as mortar bombs and tubes.
April 17th, 2008 16:47
i find no word in the dictionery to describe your
work! my question to mbeki about “no ciris in Zim”, a statement he said when zanu-pf hooligans were chopping off people’s hands, military and police on every street corner, people dying from hunger and lack of medicines, and many, many …
what is his definition of crisis, does he mean what we will witness when the arms shipment in durban lands on the zim soil. i wish it were possible to send him all the “hand stubs” to his door step, this could wake him up. tired of mbeki, and wondering what exactly it is between him and mugabe.
April 17th, 2008 17:22
There is news on Reuters about the arms on the ship here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1655406220080416
April 17th, 2008 17:36
http://palapye.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/zimbabwe-things-have-gone-wrong-says-mbeki/
From Botswana
There was some good investigative reporting on BBC World Service where they played on statement after another.
April 17th, 2008 17:45
Now that we have tried everything in Zim & failed lets now turn to God. Nothing is impossible with God
April 17th, 2008 19:40
FOR CHIMURENGA
IF THERE WAS A GOD HE WOULD HAVE LET MR MUGABE GO TO SLEEP ONE NIGHT AND GO TO WHEREVER DICTATORS GO TO IN THE NEXT LIFE ONLY GOD KNOWS?
April 17th, 2008 19:52
This is from the Democratic Alliance’s website (official SA opposition) today.
______________________________
Take action on Zimbabwe-bound weapons
——————————————————————————–
Statement issued by: Rafeek Shah, DA spokesperson on Defence
17 April 2008
This morning’s statement by Cabinet spokesperson Themba Maseko that the government could not stop the shipment of a cache of arms to Zimbabwe because it has to “tread very carefully†in its relations with Zimbabwe is the surest sign yet that government has completely lost the plot on the Zimbabwe issue.
If the government allows a consignment of weapons (including rocket launchers and ammunition) to cross South African territory unhindered, and stands idly by while these weapons are used to suppress the Zimbabwean people, then any pretence that we are an honest broker in the Zimbabwean electoral process will be exposed once and for all for the sham that it is.
World leaders are growing increasingly impatient with the South African government’s inability to grasp the urgency and seriousness of the crisis in Zimbabwe. According to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the “very credibility of the democratic process in Africa†is at stake. A number of permanent members of the UN Security Council have also raised concerns about the escalating violence and political oppression taking place in Zimbabwe. It is being reported from within Zimbabwe that the ZANU-PF government has stepped up the deployment of the army, police and intelligence units countrywide in order to harass and intimidate supporters of the opposition.
In this context of increasing violence, it will be inexcusable for South Africa to fail to stop the shipment of weapons being delivered to Harare. Apart from the obvious moral imperatives for stopping the shipment, the government is also legally obliged to act. According to the National Conventional Arms Control Act (NCACA), anyone who conveys, freights, or transfers conventional weapons is required to apply for a conveyance permit, and permits must only be granted by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) after considering how those weapons will be used.
It clearly states in the Act that the NCACC must avoid transfers of weapons to governments that suppress human rights or where the weapons are likely to escalate conflict and endanger peace. The situation in Zimbabwe, by anyone’s standards, fails to meet these criteria.
The DA will urgently request that the Defence Portfolio Committee be briefed by the NCACC to explain without delay whether the necessary permit was granted and if so on what grounds.
The world’s astonishment at President Mbeki’s political defence of Robert Mugabe will likely turn into outright anger as we are now not only denying the existence of a crisis in Zimbabwe, but also actively facilitating the arming of an increasingly despotic and desperate regime.
________________
So it appears that South Africa is well aware of this consignment and actually issued a permit for it’s transportation. This can only lead one to believe that Thabo Mbeki is fully aware that these arms are going straight to Zimbabwe to be used against the ‘opposition’ as well as any other protesting Zimbabweans. Incredible!
April 17th, 2008 20:06
Union refuses to unload ship!
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=750957
A little good news.
April 17th, 2008 20:28
Let’s hear it for the transport unions who have refused to unload the ship or transport them by road.
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20080417185622239C389124
April 17th, 2008 21:03
Just too sad.
April 17th, 2008 21:20
Congratulation SATAWU workers – you have proved that you have consciences and principles, which is more than we can say about Mr. Mbeki or the NCACC. Thank you for thinking about the Zimbabwean people!
April 18th, 2008 05:50
There is no food in Zimbabwe but 9 million Rd can be spent on weapons!
China is rebuted worldwide for human right abuses in Tibet, and still ships these arms in its olympic year.
The South African government should be ashamed.
The United Nations should intervien and hopefully will.
I dispair at the injustice and maddness in the world.
April 18th, 2008 16:36
I forwarded this information to BBC news yesterday, and I see they have a story about it on their website today. It looks like the shipment is going to be allowed through to Zimbabwe – the South African authorities seem to think they should not intervene on this one. Is there something we can do here? Who would we petition to stop the shipment? Any ideas?
April 18th, 2008 17:29
Hi Adrienne,
As regards to whom we should be appealing, I would suggest the bodies who may be contacted in South Africa are the SACC (South African Council of Churces), COSATU and SATAWU and Mr. Jacob Zuma who is strongly aligned with the Unions in South Africa. It would seem that Mr. Zuma has taken a far stronger stance on Zimbabwe than Mr. Mbeki ever will, and in light of his recent comments regarding Zimbabwe he could be a force to be reckoned with. You might also send this information to the UN Security Council as I am sure that they never envisioned SA assisting Zimbabwe in THIS manner when they last met. In addition, although this is unlikely to bear any fruit, the IOC should be advised of this – Olympics begin in Beijing shortly and China has been pushed through the wringer already regarding their Human Right offenses. As these goods will (apparently) be transported by road, perhaps there are Zim/SA activists who are prepared to travel that same road and protest along the way. Finally, I would research the NCACC itself. It seems that they only meet once a month, therefore any approval they have given is tentative at best.
Finally, here is a link to the National Arms Control Bill of SA: http://www.info.gov.za/gazette/bills/2000/b50b-00.pdf
Section 14 (3)(d) states unequivocally that:
The committee must…..
cancel, amend or suspend the permit if it is in the interest of maintaining and promoting Internation Peace or avoiding repression and terrorism.
Section 15 deals with “Guiding Principles and Criteria” and from my limited knowledge and reading it is clear that SA is in direct contravention of their own Bill of Parliament by allowing this shipment to proceed. Sections 15c, d, e, f, g and k deal with this specifically. Perhaps it would be worth the effort and cost to have a lawyer examine these sections and then take it up with the SA Government. This will be time consuming and perforce one would need to act very quickly.
I hope that some of the above may be useful and wish everyone courage and strength in these extremely difficult times.
April 18th, 2008 17:55
It would seem that the DA is in agreement with my post above regarding the illegality of transporting these goods through SA and specifically to Zimbabwe. Specifically I refer you to the recent article by Helen Zille on the DA website: http://www.da.org.za/DA/Site/Eng/satoday/satoday.asp
April 18th, 2008 20:34
Dump the containers in the water!
April 19th, 2008 12:42
Whether it’s AIDS denial, crime, the arms deal, corruption, incompetence, Zimbabwe, and now the Chines arms shipment, it’s clear the fish stinks from the head: Mbeki.
He should be removed from office.
Unfortunately, the ANC dominates parliament.
So, he won’t be removed constitutionally, which leaves only one other option:
[... some content deleted by Sokwanele]
April 19th, 2008 23:38
I see the ship has now left Durban after Judge refused to allow the arms through SA.
Apparently it is now headed for Angola- does anyone know what its route would be from there, as I’m sure it would be allowed to unload?
April 20th, 2008 09:16
These stories have made headlines here in Hong Kong and in Jeddah.
April 20th, 2008 09:22
Here is a company that should be sanctioned:
In the weeks prior to the March 29 election, with Zimbabwe’s economy collapsing and inflation already running at 100,000 percent, a German company called Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) ran its printing presses at maximum capacity, delivering 432,000 sheets of banknotes to Mugabe’s government each week.
April 20th, 2008 10:03
Good work Sarah. Let’s follow this up too.
Citizen sanctions. If you act irresponsibly in Zimbabwe, you will find yourself answering a lot of questions!
April 21st, 2008 17:01
Sarah and Scotchcart,
I emailed the US Secretary of State regarding the G&D company (affiliate) in the US and suggested they enquire into this matter. If I get a response, I will be sure to post it here.
April 21st, 2008 18:36
The DA Website has this information regarding their efforts to stop this shipment. Considering that it was sent to Levy Mwanawasa who has recently indicated that he is NOT HAPPY with Uncle Bob and Co., there is a fair chance that this will prevent these armaments reaching Zimbabwe. Link to the DA letter to President Mwanawasa:
http://www.da.org.za/da/Site/Eng/News/Article.asp?ID=8854