SA bordering on rogue diplomacy – Pityana
SAVE SA leader and businessman Sipho Pityana on Saturday charged that South Africa was bordering on rogue diplomacy and propagating impunity for perpetrators of war crimes and human rights abuses.
As a nation that had once held moral authority in the world and commanded tremendous respect‚ South Africa was now as discredited as the leader at its helm – with disastrous consequences‚ he said.
Pityana was speaking in Pretoria at the funeral service for the late Kenyan academic Professor Rok Ajulu‚ who was married to Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu‚ and died on Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
In his tribute‚ Pityana said his biggest takeaway from the Kenyan academic’s life was that he had truly understood the concept of international solidarity – “and deployed it with admirable altruism‚ generosity and dedication”.
Pityana questioned whether South Africa could claim to have been on the same journey of internationalism and solidarity as Ajulu when it had “abandoned the nations of Africa and supported UN Resolution 1973‚ which resulted in the air bombardment of Libya and the gruesome murder of Ghadaffi”.
“Can we absolve ourselves from the continued conflict and instability in that country which has resulted from that escapade?
“Are we still internationalists when we deny the Dalai Lama right of entry to a free South Africa‚ even when invited by the doyen of our liberation struggle‚ Archbishop Desmond Tutu?
“No doubt many who formed part of that international solidarity movement‚ Rok included‚ would have been puzzled‚ if not deeply disappointed that a country whose constitution affirms LGBTI rights‚ would abstain at the UN Human Rights Commission when a motion proposing these rights is tabled. Or that‚ as a country that places a premium on the right to access to information‚ we would at the same commission a vote against a motion for internet freedoms that are denied to so many in the world?”
Pityana added that South Africa had made strides and built a fantastic reputation as an active player in promoting world peace.
“But we are now in a realm where private business interests connected to some of our political leaders are allegedly pursued in countries like the Central Africa Republic and the DRC, at the same time as we have ostensibly deployed personnel for capacity building and peace keeping.
“Have we forgotten about the murderous crusade of the Al-Bashir regime of Sudan or the Rwandan genocide‚ the bloody escapades of Charles Taylor in Liberia‚ and the many others?
“Should the perpetrators of these war crimes and human rights abuses not be brought to book?
“We must accept that‚ in attempting to exit the International Criminal Court‚ we are seen to have chosen the side of the perpetrators of abuses. And we have done so without doing anything to establish an African Court on Human Rights.”
In the same way‚ the country could be accused of turning a blind eye to the reign of terror and human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
“The truth is that we are bordering on rogue diplomacy. We are propagating impunity.”