The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday released a statement objecting to a report in the Mail & Guardian saying that Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma backed Zimbabwean government moves to stifle an explosive report on human rights abuses in Zimbabwe at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.
At the same time, according to the M&G report, there is mounting evidence that Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge lied when he claimed his government had not seen or had a chance to respond to the report.
The Department of Foreign Affairs says in its statement that the M&G report is ”devoid of all truths and must be rejected with the contempt it deserves”.
The Annual Activity Report of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights was tabled and discussed at the executive council meeting of foreign ministers in terms of accepted procedures of the African Union, the statement says.
”Minister Dlamini-Zuma for the record did not speak when the report was tabled as suggested by the M&G but to her credit she insisted on the report being forwarded to the heads of state and government for discussions towards the conclusion of the discussion.
”When a suggestion was made that the executive council should not forward the report on procedural grounds to the heads of state and government for discussion, Minister Dlamini-Zuma objected and insisted the executive council could not pretend that it did not receive nor discuss the report.”
Dlamini-Zuma insisted on the report being forwarded to heads of state and government with recommendations from the council, the departmental statement says.
Accordingly, the executive council of foreign ministers noted the report and forwarded it to the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, where it was tabled for discussion.
The assembly took note of the report but suspended its publication pending comments from concerned parties, and urged that in future the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights must submit reports including comments from concerned parties as well as steps undertaken to remedy the situation.
Therefore, the department concludes, the M&G report amounts to ”scraping the bottom to find ammunition with which to attack the name, integrity and reputation of the minister where none exists. Minister Dlamini-Zuma was at all times during the summit available to assist South African media present at the summit.”
It says ”the M&G chose to publish these scurrilous suggestions without checking their facts with either the minister and/or members of her delegation to the African Union”.
How SA backed Zimbabwe lie