Prime Minister John Howard on Monday said it was ludicrous to suggest Australia was racist for banning its cricketers from touring Zimbabwe, as he faced questions at home about mixing sport with politics.
Howard on Sunday ordered Australian cricketers not to tour the impoverished African nation, saying the presence of the world champions would be used as a propaganda tool to support the rule of ”grubby dictator” Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe’s Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga hit back by saying the ban was a racist ploy designed to keep Zimbabwe out of international sport.
Howard said it was absurd to suggest the decision was racially motivated.
”I mean, that is just ludicrous. I mean nobody believes that except him. There’s not an Australian who would see this decision as being racist, I mean, heavens above. That is just absurd,” Howard told reporters.
Howard, who as a junior backbencher in 1975 argued that sporting boycotts would be ineffective in breaking down South Africa’s apartheid regime, said the situation in Zimbabwe was unique.
No comparison could be made with China, which next year hosts the Olympic Games in Beijing despite international criticism over its human rights record, he said.
”I have absolutely no intention of intervening in relation to the Olympics in Beijing except to give very strong support to the Australian team,” Howard said.
The prime minister said it was unfair for players to decide for themselves whether they should play the one-day series in Zimbabwe in September, and that banning the tour was a way to send a very strong signal of disapproval about Mugabe’s regime.
”I’m sorry it’s come to this; it really does pain me as a cricket lover that it has come to this pass, but this is a terrible regime, whatever happens he will try and turn it to his propaganda advantage,” Howard said.
Howard also poured cold water on the suggestion put forward by the sport’s governing body Cricket Australia that the games could still go ahead in a neutral venue.
”I am very sceptical both about the wisdom of that and also about the likelihood of it happening,” he said.
”We’ll obviously deal with it if it comes up, but we don’t want to do anything that provides any skerrick [slight amount] of comfort to Mugabe’s regime.”
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was not in favour of mixing sport with politics, but supported the government’s action against Zimbabwe.
”If the Australian team went, they’d still find themselves embroiled in sport and politics so the politics side of it was unavoidable,” he said.
Australia has, meanwhile, boosted its financial support for human rights activists and aid groups in Zimbabwe.
Downer said almost $3,3-million more would be spent on humanitarian and human rights support.
”Although the Australian government has suspended development cooperation with the repressive Mugabe regime, we remain determined to assist the ordinary people of Zimbabwe,” Downer said. — Sapa-AFP