For all our petty discussion about who or what a politician said in America, we are forgetting the fact that saying nothing is even more harmful.
Thabo Mbeki of South Africa has repeatedly ignored and made excuses for the acts of Robert Mugabe's dictatorial rule in Zimbabwe. This is not just a matter of one man, but the entire ANC that has chosen to keep this out of the order and ignore that Apartheid is occurring against fellow Africans.
From the essays written by Nicholas Kristof to the endless parade of voices being critical of Mugabe in Zimbabwe, we have to realize that the best way of attacking something that will not be listened to is to attack that which it does.
Zimbabwe needs South Africa. It is reliant on them for food deliveries, oil shipments, medical supplies, and remintances sent by refugees.
I am not blaming all of South Africa, but that does not mean that we should ignore the fact that South Africa has played a major part in the destabilization of an entire country, as well as spark riots that have killed hundreds of people.
The only course of action is to boycott South Africa. If Mbeki cannot be trusted to take responsibility for his neighbors, how do you think his successor Jacob Zuma will do?
Let us not forget that Mbeki is also the PM who is ignorant on many aspects of HIV/AIDs as it spreads through his country. The Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is still in her position, even after she ignorantly declared that a healthy diet could heal a person, and was defended by Mbeki.
South Africa is deporting Zimbabweans and is not respecting the human rights of the refugees.
Deporting Zimbabweans
This would also be an interesting read on the fecklessness of Mbeki CSM Mbeki & Mugabe
If you want to jump into stupid politics again even Obama has said that we need to pressure South Africa to do something about Zimbabwe. Obama criticises South Africa over Zimbabwe
Let us do the right thing. Let us not be cowards and ignore human rights abuses because it isn't proper. To deny this and to ignore the ability to pressure those that overlook the abuse and have supported it, we are nearly as guilty.
Ghandi once said "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."
From today's New York Times:
Africa’s leaders are best placed to keep Zimbabwe from further destabilizing the whole region. They can do so by refusing to recognize Mr. Mugabe’s election theft and by pressuring those who continue to collaborate with him by denying them visas, freezing bank accounts and calling on the rest of the world to follow suit.
While far too many African leaders — most notably President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa — refuse to accept that responsibility, the United States and other Western countries have taken the lead.