{{Zimbabwe\u2019s President Robert Mugabe says South Africa is failing to lead the economic development of countries in the African Union (AU) because its economy is in the hands of the white minority.}}<\/p>\n
Speaking at a function attended by African diplomats stationed in Beijing, China, on Monday where Sierra \u00adLeone ambassador Victor Bockarie Foh and Liberia\u2019s McKinley Thomas heaped praise on him, Mugabe said South Africa was in a compromised situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would love to see South Africa taking the lead. But the country\u2019s economy is still controlled by the white community, making it difficult [for blacks] to take charge.\u201d<\/p>\n
His address took place on his recent two-week tour of China to seek funds for Zimbabwe\u2019s ailing economy.<\/p>\n
In response, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told Voice of America\u2019s Studio 7 on Wednesday that South Africa would not \u201cdrive whites into the sea\u201d in a manner that would look like Zimbabwe\u2019s chaotic black empowerment programme.<\/p>\n
He said South Africa would not draw inspiration from Zimbabwe in redistributing national resources.<\/p>\n
Last year, in a televised interview with Dali Tambo, Mugabe took a dig at Nelson Mandela for being too \u201cfriendly\u201d with whites. \u201cMandela has gone a bit too far in doing good to the non-black communities, really in some cases at the expense of blacks,\u201d said Mugabe.<\/p>\n
Since taking over as chair of the Southern African \u00adDevelopment Community (SADC) earlier this month, \u00adMugabe has pushed for South Africa to help other African countries, especially those in the region, instead of using them as a \u201cdumping ground\u201d for surplus products.<\/p>\n
He told journalists at the end of the SADC summit: \u201cWe also appeal to South Africa, which is highly industrialised, to lead us in this, and to work with us and cooperate with us and not just to regard the rest of our countries as open markets for products from South Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before this address, Mugabe had been let down by South Africa which, with Namibia, had refused to sign the Protocol on Trade in Services.<\/p>\n
The protocol outlines general expectations for all state parties regarding the treatment of services and service suppliers from other countries.<\/p>\n
It does not contain liberalisation obligations, but provides for a mandate to progressively negotiate the removal of barriers to the free movement of services.<\/p>\n
City Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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