The ”fiasco” of President Thabo Mbeki’s visit to attend Haiti’s bicentenary celebrations underlines ”yet again that the president failed to take sensible advice”, said the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s main opposition party, on Friday.
”Because of his over-emotional response to Haiti’s 200th anniversary of getting rid of the French, President Mbeki, alone among African or world leaders, insisted on participating in the celebration,” DA acting leader Douglas Gibson said in a statement. ”To top it all, the visit ended with South African security personnel being involved in an exchange of fire with apparent protestors,” he said.
Earlier this week, Mbeki defended his visit to the country saying it was proper that South Africa had donated R10-million to help with Haiti’s 200th anniversary of independence celebrations and he said those who would criticise the action ”don’t know anything about the bicentennial”.
”The history of Haiti was never taught in South African schools,” he had said at the press conference. ”We learned about Haiti because we ourselves were involved in a struggle for liberation… We agreed with the government of Haiti that the bicentennial was important and that it is necessary that all Africans should celebrate.”
Gibson said that the message which Mbeki’s conduct sent out was that he would associate with anyone who was in power instead of considering the people of the country who might have a totally negative view of South Africa and Mbeki because of the seal of approval which his presence carried.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Friday that Mbeki would also hold meetings with opposition political parties and civil society members in Haiti.
”The meeting with the opposition political parties and the government comes in the wake of the request made to Dlamini-Zuma for South Africa to assist the people of Haiti to address the economic and political challenges facing their country,” said Mamoepa.
”The role that South Africa will play in this regard will be determined by the Haitians themselves in conjunction with the leadership of Caricom — the Caribbean Economic Community,” he said.
In his statement, Gibson said that the Haitian president was accused of gross human rights violations and undemocratic actions, and there were even suggestions of complicity in drug smuggling and other criminal activities.
”Why does President Mbeki diminish his own personal standing and prestige by seeking out and associating himself with people like (Haitian President Jean-Bertrand) Aristide?” asked Gibson.
”The Haitian fiasco cost many millions of rands. In addition to the R10-million donated for the celebration to President Aristide’s government, 250 Naval personnel, the cost of sailing the SAS Drakensberg for weeks in foreign waters, the cost of 51 police officers, the police helicopter and 18 national intelligence agents adds to the feeling that President Mbeki has started 2004 with a gross error of judgement.
”Either the South African secret service failed to inform and advise the president properly about the problematic nature of a Haiti visit or else he chose to ignore that advice,” Gibson said.
It was reported earlier that a South African helicopter belonging to Mbeki’s advance protection team had come under fire in the Caribbean island state, prompting Mbeki to cancel a scheduled visit to the northwestern city of Gonaives.
Police said the helicopter came under fire Thursday in Haiti while doing an advance sweep before a scheduled visit to a soup ceremony in Gonaives, celebrating the country’s independence.
The helicopter turned back and the advance team on the ground were withdrawn, Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba said.
On Thursday Mbeki, Aristide, and Prime Minister Perry Christie of the Bahamas addressed thousands of Haitians during the National Day of Celebration in Haiti.
Mamoepa said Friday’s meeting would ”mark the end of a successful state visit to the Bahamas and Haiti respectively”.
Dlamini-Zuma would head to Jamaica where she was expected to address the South African diplomatic corps based in the Americas, he said.
Mbeki is scheduled to return to South Africa on Saturday. – Sapa