SOUTH AFRICA:A SOUTH African court ruled yesterday that an arms shipment headed for Zimbabwe could be offloaded from a Chinese ship but not transported across the country to its final destination, according to the SAPA news agency.
South African dockers had earlier refused to unload the ship at Durban port for fear the consignment destined for Zimbabwe could be used by the ruling regime, Zanu-PF, against the opposition. Their action bought time for activists to seek a high court order to block transport of the weapons.
The Chinese-owned ship, the An Yue Jiang, has been anchored off Durban port since Monday and had received approval to unload by the South African government's National Conventional Arms Control Committee.
However, the unloading slot for its six weapons containers was cancelled on Thursday as opposition grew against South African involvement in the delivery of the military cargo to Zimbabwe.
Yesterday Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe launched a blistering attack against the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) at independence day celebrations in Harare, claiming its members were being manipulated by Britain to regain control of its former colony. Mr Mugabe addressed an estimated 30,000-strong crowd at a football stadium in what was his first full public engagement since the country's electoral crisis began. He did not refer to the disputed outcome of the country's March 29th election and delay in announcing the results.
In recent weeks reports of state-sponsored violence against opposition supporters has increased dramatically. Such reports had fuelled fears that the An Yue Jian's three million rounds of ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and 2,500 mortar rounds destined for the Zimbabwean military might be used in a crackdown by Mr Mugabe's government.
South Africa's Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille urged President Thabo Mbeki and the arms control committee to stop the cargo's forward transfer, warning that it could result in carnage of "genocidal proportions" if it went ahead. However, defence secretary January Masilela said on Thursday the government was not going to intervene. "This is a normal transaction between two sovereign states. We are doing our legal part and we don't have to interfere," he said.
But yesterday Durban's dock workers took matters into their own hands when they told port officials that "under no circumstances" would they unload the cargo. The workers have the backing of their union, the South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union, which said it did not agree with the government's position. The union's decision may have had a political motive as it backs Jacob Zuma, the man who deposed Mr Mbeki as leader of the African National Congress last November and is widely touted as South Africa's next president.
Dock workers' spokesperson Sprite Zimgo told The Irish Times they had agreed not to handle the cargo as a way to show solidarity with Zimbabwe's MDC.
In Harare yesterday Mr Mugabe was in defiant mood. "Down with the British. Down with thieves who want to steal our country . . . today they [ the British] are like thieves fronting their lackeys [ the MDC] among us. They have perfected their tactics to a more subtle form by using money . . . to buy some people to turn against their government. We are being bought like livestock," he said.
The attack came as the MDC suffered its second court defeat in the space of a week. Last Monday the court ruled that it would not force the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release the result of the election. Yesterday it rejected an application by the MDC to halt a planned recount of results from 23 constituencies. The ruling paves the way for a recount to begin today, and could reverse the parliamentary gains the MDC won.
Independence Day: Andrews calls for new Marshall plan
THE EU should have a Marshall-type plan for Zimbabwe if there is a change of power there and it should consider disinvestment if there is not, Fianna Fáil TD Barry Andrews said last night.
Mr Andrews is a member of the Association of Western European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) and he was speaking ahead of a ceremony in Dublin last night to mark Zimbabwe's Independence Day.
"The EU needs to have some sort of Marshall plan ready for Zimbabwe and its reconstruction if a handover occurs," Mr Andrews said.
Ireland would need to consider establishing an embassy in Zimbabwe if a change took place there, the TD for Dún Laoghaire added.
However, he said if Robert Mugabe remained in power we would need to "consider disinvestment to do with pension fund investment in companies that keep the regime in place". Zimbabwe's Independence Day was marked in Dublin with an ecumenical prayer service and an independence day celebration. The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Dr John Neill, officiated at the service for peace and justice in Zimbabwe at St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin. Mr Andrews was one of the speakers at the celebration that followed. Members of the Zimbabwean community in Ireland attended the event, which was organised by Amnesty International, Trócaire, Concern, Christian Aid and AWEPA.
GENEVIEVE CARBERY
