Ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide has asked to visit South Africa ”until his personal situation normalises”, Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced on Monday.
Dlamini-Zuma said the request came from the Caribbean Economic Community (Caricom), through the offices of the chairperson of the African Union (AU), President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique.
Jamaican Foreign Minister Keith Desmond, acting on behalf of Caricom foreign ministers, had also communicated to Dlamini-Zuma Caricom’s recommendation in this regard.
Dlamini-Zuma said she would, this week, table before the first session of the Cabinet the request and recommendations by Caricom and the AU for Aristide to be allowed to visit SA, pending resolution of his personal situation.
”The South African government has always maintained that its approach to the Haitian question will be guided by the views and attitude of Caricom and the AU on the matter,” she said.
Later on Monday, the opposition Democratic Alliance said it strongly objected to any offer of refuge, asylum or visitor status being made to Aristide by South Africa.
DA foreign affairs spokesperson Douglas Gibson said in a statement the Caricom request was ”inappropriate”.
He said Aristide’s dilemma was not simply ”personal”, but first and foremost a political matter.
”The government has declared that ‘its approach to the Haitian question will be guided by the views and attitude of Caricom and the AU on the matter’.
”The DA would like to remind the government that Aristide’s actions as President of Haiti were directly contrary to the principles and covenants of the African Union.”
These included his fraudulent re-election in 2000, his campaign of terror against journalists and human rights workers, and his violent repression of legitimate political opposition.
”Furthermore, as we have pointed out in the past, South African law would prevent any kind of asylum from being offered to Aristide, given his past record and the fact that he has enjoyed residency in several countries already.
”Knowing this, the government has described Aristide’s attempt to gain asylum as a mere ‘visit’. This is playing with words aimed at getting around the provisions of the Refugees Act.
”South Africa must avoid becoming a safe haven for undemocratic leaders,” he said. – Sapa