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| Africa Subsaharan |
| South Africa's ANC Adds to Growing Mugabe Criticism |
| 2008-06-25 |
| (Bloomberg) -- South Africa's ruling party added its voice to growing international criticism of President Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwe's opposition officially withdrew from this week's presidential runoff poll. Jacob Zuma, the leader of South Africa's African National Congress, described the situation in Zimbabwe as ``out of control,'' while the party said in an e-mailed statement it is ``deeply dismayed'' at the actions of Mugabe's government. The criticism comes after Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, announced he won't participate in the second round of voting on June 27. He pulled out after 86 people died and 200,000 fled their homes because of what he called the state's ``violent retributive agenda.'' The ANC's statement and Zuma's remarks contrasted with the cautious approach of South African President Thabo Mbeki, who lost control of the ANC to Zuma in December. South Africa ``joins other members of the Security Council in expressing regret at the continuing violence and intimidation'' in Zimbabwe, Mbeki's office said in a statement published today on the SAPA PR wire. Mbeki fought against apartheid from exile and was for a time sheltered by Mugabe, whose Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front won independence from the U.K. in 1980 after a civil war against white minority rule. The South African president was appointed by the 14-nation Southern African Development Community to mediate in the Zimbabwean crisis. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 They got enough problems in their own dung heap. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-06-25 16:57 |