Shouting+will+not+help,+Motlatsi+Lebea,+Letters,+City+Press

City Press, Johannesburg, Letters, 07/04/2007 17:44 - (SA)
=Shouting won’t help=


 * Motlatsi Lebea**

I HAVE been following the situation in Zimbabwe with keen interest.

For the past weeks a lot has been said, and continues to be said, about this country by political commentators, the media, parties like the DA and ordinary South Africans.

Most of these commentators partly blame South Africa for the deterioration of the situation in Zimbabwe because our government’s “quiet diplomacy” has failed.

Let me make it clear before I am misunderstood: I do not support what President Robert Mugabe is doing to his fellow Zimbabweans.

What happened to the leader of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, is unacceptable and should never happen again.

I think our government has done a lot in trying to solve the problems of that country. My question to those who are saying that South Africa should abandon its policy of “quiet diplomacy” is: “Will ‘loud diplomacy’ solve the problem of that country?” I don’t think so.

I must say that for the Zimbabwean problems to be solved, Zimbabweans themselves should start the process and then we will provide guidance to them.

South Africans should be reminded that we defeated the monster called apartheid, not because of international pressure, but because of the determination of our people.

If our government becomes aggressive towards Mugabe, as the DA wishes, Mugabe will become more hostile – and that is what we don’t need at the moment.

Tshwane**
 * MOTLATSI LEBEA


 * From: http://www.news24.com/City_Press/Letters/0,,186-247_2095254,00.html**

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