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.

Citizen sanctions. If you act irresponsibly in Zimbabwe, you will find yourself answering a lot of questions!

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.

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?

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]

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.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20080417185622239C389124

http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=750957

A little good news.

——————————————————————————–

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!

From Botswana

There was some good investigative reporting on BBC World Service where they played on statement after another.