Britain is puzzled by the South Africa government’s attitude towards Zimbabwe, the chairperson of the British Foreign Affairs committee, Donald Anderson, said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Anderson and his committee are in South Africa on a fact-finding mission for the British Parliament.
”We are puzzled by the South African government’s attitude to Zimbabwe because South Africa is such a successful model of transition,” he told reporters.
”We thought South Africa would be in the leading role on human rights,” he said, commenting on South Africa’s policy of ”quiet diplomacy” as a means of dealing with human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.
Anderson said it would be better if South Africa had a ”consistent policy on human rights”.
”It would be better for foreign investors in South Africa if the government had a clear stance on human rights.”
He said before they arrived in South Africa, the committee were puzzled why South Africa did not recognise this. He said they had heard various reasons why South Africa continued with its ”quiet diplomacy”.
”Since we have been here we have received a more balanced and nuanced view.”
One view was that letting Zimbabwe completely collapse would affect South Africa because of an influx of Zimbabwean refugees and could have an adverse economic affect.
”But from the British perspective human rights are human rights, and this is not altered by the Limpopo (River),” said Anderson.
The committee would meet with various interest groups in South Africa, including business and government.
When they returned to Britain, they would compile a report making recommendations on their findings. The report would be released in May or June. – Sapa