South African President Jacob Zuma is on a state visit to the United Kingdom where he has had talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The two discussed issues relating to the global economy, trade links, climate change, and the upcoming World Cup in South Africa.
But what received the most press were talks regarding South Africa’s neighbor, Zimbabwe. Gordon Brown stated that sanctions already in place against Zimbabwe should remain. Brown said Zimbabwe must show progress in key areas including democratic reforms.
President Zuma, however, assured Brown that he was “very positive” that progress was being made in Zimbabwe according to the BBC. Mr. Zuma suggested that sanctions be eased to help Zimbabwe “move forward”.
The two leaders did agree that they should present a united front on Zimbabwe. The two felt that it was vital that commissions be set up by the government to increase protection for human rights and freedom of speech and to support democratic institutions.
It’s difficult to understand sanctions. I understand what they mean and what they’re used for. However, sanctions against a leader such as Robert Mugabe seem pointless. The leader has no trust in the Western world at all. he must view sanctions as a tool of westerners to control others. Mugabe is a terrible leader and should not have been allowed to be President for so long. But there is a side to very story. We are not changing things by denouncing and restricting. Quite frankly we should support his overthrow or work with him to make positive change for his people.
