South Africa Sets its Voting Record at the UN Straight?

South African Defense Minister, Mosioua Lekota, this week sort to clarify South Africa’s deplorable voting record of late at the United Nations. In an address on the program of action of government's International Relations Peace and Security cluster, the minister explained that despite our recent votes at the UN South Africa condemned human rights abuses in Burma and the Holocaust. Lekota put it on record that

‘South Africa condemns totally and without reserve the abuse of human rights [in Burma] and the arrest of outstanding democrats [referring to Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held under house arrest in the country's capital for more than 15 years].’

Our vote last month against a resolution rebuking Burma’s military junta for its gross human rights abuses against its own citizens was not to sanction the actions of Burma’s oppressive regime but to demonstrate our opposition to the legitimacy of the Western dominated UN Security Counsel in making such judgments. As Lekota explained

‘The issue of the vote in the UN has to do with affording more nations of the world to be able to have a say on it, instead of just a few of them. We cannot support a situation in which issues which need to be considered by bigger proportions of the members of the UN are hived off, and become a special preserve of a few privileged nations. At this time of a unipolar world it is increasingly more important than more nations are heard on issues rather than fewer because that in itself weakens democracy at an international level, and it's a very dangerous formula when it's like that.’

It would seem unfortunately that for the South African government the struggle against American hegemony trumps all other foreign policy priorities.

To justify this ludicrous position, the Minister, in what could only be described as Orwellian, claimed that South Africa’s vote was ‘actually in the interest of the people of Burma’. For if

‘more nations in the world are participants in the decision as to what has to happen there [in Burma] because when they own that decision there will be greater support for it.’

No one more than me recognises the flaws in the UN system and no one more than me supports its extensive reform, but when it is in a position to do some good it must be assisted. Inaction in the face of evil can never be justified on the imperfect nature of the tools available to combat it.

In addition to our deplorable vote on Burma, Lekota also sort to clarify our bizarre actions in respect of the UN General Assembly resolution against Holocaust denial. Readers will recall that South Africa, not only did not co-sponsor the resolution (103 countries did so including Rwanda) but also absented themselves from the hall when the resolution was passed.

Lekota stated unequivocally that the South African government does not condone Holocaust denial. He put it on record that

‘the position of South Africa, not starting today, even as a liberation movement, the ANC has never hesitated to condemn the holocaust and what happened in Hitler's Germany. The historical records speak for themselves in this regard.’

The actions of the South African mission to the UN did not seem to represent the position of the South African government on this issue. As Lekota explained

‘There has been some suggestion that South Africa refused to co-sponsor the resolution. No such instruction was issued from the government of South Africa to the Mission in New York to hesitate or resist on this matter. There may have been practical matters on the ground and we are looking into this matter. Even the suggestion that our mission was ordered to absent itself during the voting is erroneous and has no basis.’

While I of course welcome the Government’s public clarification of its position on Holocaust denial, I am extremely concerned about the breakdown in management at the South African Department of Foreign Affairs. It is imperative, particularly now that we sit on the UN security counsel, that our representatives abroad implement the will of the South African government and its people. This affair has been a huge embarrassment to the international standing of South Africa. Controls need to be put in place to ensure that this does not happen again.

Comments

[Steve]

Spot on Mike. It amazes me how few statements are ever made from the lady at the top - the minister Nkosazama Dlamini Zuma. We never hear from her - we only hear from Pahad (her deputy) or one of the UN representatives, and now Lekota???

Leadership comes from the top and there seems to be a clear lack of leadership from Zuma.

[Dave]

Seems like Terror has been sticking his oar in the water quite a lot lately on a few issues totally unrelated to his portfolio as Defence Minister. Methinks he might be looking to improve his current salary when nominations for ANC leadership come round.

[Joel Pollak]

Or perhaps the dear Minister was simply being defensive with the truth. I don't expect we'll hear a report back on the
"practical matters" preventing SA's vote anytime soon. Though it strikes me that if anyone has R60,000 lying around, we could arrange a meeting with the Minister to get direct information.