By Robb WJ Ellis (The Bearded Man)
I have noticed that when cases come to court in Southern Africa, if the subject matter of the case is delicate and in danger of exposing the governments for their activities, then the case’s judgement is reserved. A case in point is the appeal by the Mugabe administration against the acquittal of Roy Bennett, the MDC’s preference for the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Mugabe stated that until Bennett was cleared by a criminal court, his swearing into cabinet would not happen. He was acquitted, but a judgement in the appeal was reserved indefinitely which means that, on paper at least, he has not been cleared… and therefore not to be sworn into cabinet.
Judgement was reserved at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein on Monday in the Presidency’s attempt to stop the Mail & Guardian from obtaining a confidential report on the 2002 Zimbabwe presidential election. President Jacob Zuma’s office appealed against the June 2010 judgement in the North Gauteng High Court which ordered the government to release the report to the M&G.
In what was widely hailed as a victory in the struggle for state transparency in South Africa, Acting Judge S Sapire then ordered the government to hand over the report within 10 days. As the deadline was due to expire, the Presidency announced that it would seek leave to appeal. The 2002 report was compiled by judges Dikgang Moseneke and Sizi Khampepe, acting as special envoys to Zimbabwe for the then-president Thabo Mbeki.”
I think that the fact that Zuma is ducking and diving, and working hard to conceal the findings of the report is indicative of the lack of transparency in the ANC government in South Africa, but also shows the influence that Mugabe has in Southern Africa. The report is about 8 years old, but is still held back by the RSA government because they are aware that the contents therein will not only blow a hole in Mugabe’s government, but also in the ANC government of Zuma.
And for Zuma’s government, it is more important to protect Mugabe than it is to protect their own administration.
“The Judges of the SCA gave the counsel for president Zuma a very difficult time” said Dawes after the case. “They had numerous questions about his argument that the judges’ report ought to remain confidential because it contains secret diplomatic information that would jeopardise relations between the two countries if it were revealed.”
I hate to say it, but what a load of rubbish! Secrecy be damned – we are talking about peoples’ lives here! How can the events of eight years ago be so politically and diplomatically important? I struggle with the idea that whatever was happening between Zimbabwe and South Africa almost a decade ago should be an obstacle in the publishing of a report concerning an election in Zimbabwe?
Do the ANC really think that we are that stupid?
The ANC government is so far up Mugabe’s behind that I sincerely hope that they have their names painted on the soles of their shoes so that those who follow know who is ahead of them!
Robb WJ Ellis, The Bearded Man
Read more: http://mandebvhu.instablogs.com/entry/2002-election-report-publication-blocked-by-secrets/#ixzz166qsFezE
