Nice Work, Mbeki

Good job, Thabo. You once again halted any meaningful progress in Zimbabwe. Other countries wanted a stronger condemnation of Mugabe, but you were able to force the UN to water down the resolution condemning the violence in Zimbabwe. This sounds familiar...oh yes, you did the same when the Burmese junta was under consideration. Instead of condemning the human rights abuses in that country, you were able to use your "moral authority" to halt the measure. I think you said that Burma was merely a matter of domestic policy. Isn't that what you're saying about Zimbabwe now? Never mind that thousands of people are now starving and homeless. Never mind that the police and militia loyal to Mugabe have killed and tortured hundreds of people for merely having the guts to vote against him. It's only a domestic matter.

I'm so glad that other people weren't as gutless as you during the apartheid era. People from around the world organized to protest the apartheid movement, which, on its face, was less violent and oppressive than the regime we now see in South Africa. In that era, people organized an effective boycott of South Africa. It's time that the world once again boycotts South Africa to fight Mbeki's inaction.