A small band of critics of the arms transaction including the Institute, the civil rights group Afriforum, and trade unions spoke up to say that the delivery of arms to Zimbabwe was unacceptable. A religious leader and legal aid centre obtained a court order allowing the state to seize the arms on arrival in Durban. The trade unions mobilized their affiliates in Mozambique and Angola to refuse to unload the arms cargo.

The result was swift and immediate. The Chinese vessel transporting the arms, which had been anchored off the Durban coast, set sail for international waters to escape South Africa’s legal jurisdiction. It apparently failed in efforts to unload the arms in Mozambique and Angola and has since been sailing around the southern African coastline unable to land. The image of a rust-bucket freight ship, laden with arms, unable to find a friendly port on the African coastline is a great victory for democracy on the African continent.    

This was the complete antithesis of President Thabo Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy. A handful of civil society groups with limited means achieved in one week what Mr Mbeki’s entire government had failed to do in several years. Together they sent a very clear message to Zimbabweans that they were not alone in their struggle against tyranny. They also undid some of the damage that quiet diplomacy had done to South Africa’s international reputation.

Credit is also due to the ANC and to Mr Jacob Zuma for their statements that the situation in Zimbabwe was one of concern. This was a change from the usual racist sniping that had characterised previous criticism of Zimbabwe.     

No invasion was necessary. No forced regime change. Just the clear message that the Zimbabwe government should be a regional pariah and that the region should not aid and abet the government in committing crimes against its people. The arms may yet land in Zimbabwe and may yet be used against its people. If that happens there are at least some in South Africa who could say they exhausted every resource available to prevent that. One is forced to wonder what Mr Mbeki would say now that his ‘quiet diplomacy’ charade has been so spectacularly exposed for the deception that it always was. 

- Frans Cronje

Forthcoming events

On 8 May we host five of South Africa’s top economists to discuss their growth forecasts for South Africa’s economy. This promises to be one of the top economic and business breakfasts of 2008. Click here for further details.

On 13 May we host SA: The Good News at our Johannesburg offices to give their thoughts on the future of South Africa.

Forthcoming publications

The May edition of Fast Facts will include an in-depth analysis of the pending expropriation legislation. This legislation goes far beyond land reform in its reach and poses risks to all sectors of the economy.