The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) on Tuesday said it is ashamed by South Africa’s silence on the brutality of the Zimbabwean government against opposition parties.
”Now is the time for the South African government to speak out and to condemn the brutality of the Zimbabwean government.
”Failure to do so would be criminal and would be tantamount to condoning and approving the undemocratic and vicious acts of a government that does not care for its people,” said party president Kenneth Meshoe.
President Robert Mugabe’s government has come under increasing international criticism for its treatment of the country’s opposition. Activists say the government has been disrupting their gatherings and beating and detaining their leaders.
Members of the Movement for Democratic Change, including leader Morgan Tsvangirai, have in the past week been assaulted while in police custody.
”The ACDP condemns the brutal assaults on members of the opposition parties by the Zimbabwe police in the strongest possible terms and we challenge the government to do likewise,” Meshoe said.
”We question why the South African government that claims and pretends to be champions of human rights on the African continent can remain silent when the Zimbabwe police are beating protesters and leaders of the opposition,” he said. — Sapa