By Gillian Jones
Britain was perplexed by the South Africa government's attitude towards Zimbabwe, senior British parliamentarian Donald Anderson said on Tuesday.
"We are puzzled by the South African government's attitude to Zimbabwe because South Africa is such a successful model of transition," he told reporters.
"We thought South Africa would be in the leading role on human rights," he said, commenting on South Africa's policy of "quiet diplomacy" as a means of dealing with human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.
'South Africa is paying the price for what is happening in Zimbabwe' Anderson is chairperson of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, which is in South Africa on a fact-finding mission.
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"It would be better for foreign investors in South Africa if the government had a clear stance on human rights. South Africa is paying the price for what is happening in Zimbabwe.
"From the British point of view, we can see the costs, including financial costs. Foreign capital is a scarce resource and it will go where investors (have positive impressions). It may be difficult for South Africa to separate itself from Zimbabwe in the perceptions of foreign investors."
He said before they arrived in South Africa, the committee were puzzled why South Africa did not recognise this.
Since their arrival, he said they had heard various reasons why the country continued with "quiet diplomacy".
'Since we have been here we have received a more balanced and nuanced view' "Since we have been here we have received a more balanced and nuanced view."
One opinion was that letting Zimbabwe completely collapse would affect South Africa because of an influx of Zimbabwean refugees and the adverse economic effects.
Anderson said there were ties of solidarity between South Africa and Zimbabwe, "although there were problems here with the reverence of Robert Mugabe" as a liberation leader.
"But from the British perspective human rights are human rights, and this is not altered by the Limpopo (River)," said Anderson.
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