S. African official defends policy towards Zimbabwe

South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad on Tuesday said his country adopts constructive diplomacy, not quiet diplomacy as described by critics, towards the Zimbabwean situation.

During a media briefing at Parliament in Cape Town, he also rejected suggestions that economic sanctions should be imposed as a means to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe, the South African Press Association (SAPA) reported.

Asked about the effectiveness of South Africa's policy of quiet diplomacy towards Zimbabwe, Pahad said the phrase quiet diplomacy was a misnomer.

"It's constructive diplomacy that we're working on," he said.

The South African government has been criticized by opposition parties and human rights groups at home and by the Western countries for failing to openly condemn Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has been repeatedly accused of cracking down on the political opposition.

Political tensions escalated in South Africa's northern neighbor recently following the arrest and assault of a number of opposition officials, including MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, and civil rights activists by police, which sparked an outcry, especially from Western countries.

But Mugabe's government has hit back, accusing the West of militating for regime change.

South Africa, like the majority of African countries, insist that political crisis in Zimbabwe could not be solved through intervention of outside force.

"It should now be clear that those who imposed so-called smart sanctions have themselves questioned the effectiveness of such actions," Pahad said on Tuesday.

The European Union, for example, had stated it had no intention to impose economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.

"However, more significantly, no Zimbabwean political party, none of the churches, which are playing a major role, or any other elements of civil society in Zimbabwe, have called for economic sanctions against Zimbabwe," he said.

Pahad said South Africa could not independently bring about a solution in Zimbabwe. The situation demanded a collective approach, such as within the framework of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) or the African Union (AU).

SADC's 14 member states including Zimbabwe is due to meet in Tanzania this week to discuss the Zimbabwean situation. Both Mugabe and South African President Thabo Mbeki are expected to attend the meeting.

Source: Xinhua