To Nelson R. Mandela

Delivered through Mac Maharaj on 7 November 2006, Auckland, New Zealand

Ref: Zimbabwe Crisis

We would like to take this rare opportunity to further impress on the South African government the need to get more actively involved in finding a lasting solution to the Zimbabwean crisis.

Over the past six years, Zimbabwe has degenerated socially, politically and economically to unprecedented levels. What’s most worrying is the fact that the South African government has literally turned a blind eye on its burning neighbour under the pretext of the infamous quiet diplomacy. Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, just like those back home, view the South African stance as nothing but complicity in this prodigious iniquity.

We hereby call upon and pray for your intervention as one of the great sons of Africa , if not the greatest. We have faith and hope in the “Madiba magic”. Comments like “ Zimbabwe is not South Africa’s tenth province” are most unfortunate especially as they come from some of the top leadership within the ANC and the South African government. South Africa , as both our regional and continental giant, cannot afford to ignore the Zimbabwean crisis. We call upon the South African government to explicitly condemn the human rights abuses in Zimbabwe. We challenge the South African political leadership to start seeing the evils perpetrated by Mr. Mugabe’s government against innocent Zimbabweans and act accordingly. Thousands of Zimbabweans are dying from starvation and curable disease whilst Mugabe clings on to power. Some are devoured by crocodiles as they attempt to illegally cross into South Africa

The values of the liberation must not reside in persons but in our culture, hope and aspirations. The disastrous and perfidious romance between the ANC and ZANU PF has become a formidable retrogressive force within the entire SADC region. We sincerely believe that South Africa needs an economically strong Zimbabwe and a strong SADC rather than one gutted by civil strife and disembowelled of its skilled people. 

Once more, through you, the great son of Africa, we implore Mr. Mbeki’s government to become more practical with the situation in Zimbabwe.

Those who think they cannot do anything until Zimbabwe became a tenth province of South Africa need to be reminded of the long journey towards the dismantlement of apartheid. Many nations from within and without our continent spoke and acted openly against apartheid. These are the values your successor shouldn’t be reminded of.

Without pre-empting the role of the Mandela Foundation, we would like to believe and suggest that it be a vehicle of peace, humility, forgiveness, democracy, human rights and candid talk, the values that made Mandela the great man that he is.

Lastly, we wish you good health and long life so that you can continue to be our living source of inspiration, hope, guidance and peace as we seek to establish true democratic values in Zimbabwe and beyond.