David Masango
6 August 2007
South Africa must continue to assist in resolving the crisis in Zimbabwe, both out of moral duty and as a matter of national self-interest, says Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad.
"If we do not assist the Zimbabweans solve their problems, the neighbouring countries - South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia - will not be able to sustain the levels of refugees," Pahad said.
Speaking to reporters in Pretoria last week, Pahad all indications were that increasing numbers of Zimbabweans were entering South Africa daily.
He said the situation in Zimbabwe was serious, with the International Monetary Fund predicting that inflation in the country would reach 100 000 percent by the end of the year.
In March, the Southern African Development Community tasked its executive secretary, Tomaz Augusto Salamao, with visiting Zimbabwe to assess the economic situation and make recommendations.
At the same time, the regional grouping tasked SA President Thabo Mbeki with facilitating negotiations between Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Pahad said both Salamao and Mbeki were expected to brief the upcoming SADC heads of state summit in Zambia.
"We will await the summit’s recommendations for the way forward," he said.
When asked if South Africa could not have done more to help Zimbabwe, the deputy minister said the government had long been urging their Zimbabwean counterparts to address the situation.
"We have tried systematically, bilaterally and multilaterally to assist the Zimbabweans resolve their crisis. In the end, those pictures [of Zimbabweans trying to get into South Africa] must be of concern to us all," Pahad said.
"We must also be aware of the impact on our national programmes – it would be severely strenuous for us to begin absorbing three million refugees into our social structures."
Pahad added that South Africa, together with the United Nations had to spend more resources to provide accommodation for the refugees. "It is clear that we cannot expect people to live in conditions as those described," he said.
Pahad also acknowledged the efforts of the parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs, who recently visited the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp and the refugee reception centre in Marabastad, Pretoria.
The committee is set to make recommendations to Parliament on the running of the centre Parliament later this month.
Source: BuaNews
