As hard a pill as it is to swallow for some, our govt's approach to SOME of the issues in Africa is very carefully thought out. personally our govt sumtyms jst winds me up...but I've found common ground in their approach to African affairs. It is an approach that seeks to treat Africa and its politics in a mature and sustainable manner. Africa is a unique continent with unique challenges and unique politics. Trying to carbon copy western politics to the tee will not work either.African ppl are grown adults who have the ability to make things happen for themselvs. The time for Africans to be beggars and "baby states" of the west is over. Freedom and Political stability doesn't come cheap! You have to put in the work as a country. You don't overthrow conial power, select a leader and call it a day! Western armed forces bombing leaders is not so sustainable either - coz 20 yrs down the line, they'll have to cum back again (if they eva leave in the 1st instance!). I for 1have always felt proud of South Africans for their bravery. Yes we had help from the international community - but it is us South Africans who carried the guns and tyres, and did our own dirty work! Freedom is not cheap and if you try to buy it or forge it - it doesn't last. I do support the idea behind HELPING ppl to regain their country back but I do not support fighting ppl's battles to the point that NATO has done with Libya. By allowing western armed forces to get into any African country and influence issues of regime change through war, we are setting a precedence that says Africans cannot solve their own problems peacefully, Africans are incapable of negotiating political change, Africa is not a politically sound continent. And ppl wonder why Africa is a rich continent (mining, agriculture etc) but under developed and poor... Africans are strong enough to fight their own battles and choose their own leaders. Yes a little help is necessary sometimes but too much of it is not good either. You empower ppl by helpinh them do things for themselves, not by doing it for them! Copy dat Zim...

As hard a pill as it is to swallow for some, our govt's approach to SOME of the issues in Africa is very carefully thought out. personally our govt sumtyms jst winds me up...but I've found common ground in their approach to African affairs. It is an approach that seeks to treat Africa and its politics in a mature and sustainable manner. Africa is a unique continent with unique challenges and unique politics. Trying to carbon copy western politics to the tee will not work either.African ppl are grown adults who have the ability to make things happen for themselvs. The time for Africans to be beggars and "baby states" of the west is over. Freedom and Political stability doesn't come cheap! You have to put in the work as a country. You don't overthrow conial power, select a leader and call it a day! Western armed forces bombing leaders is not so sustainable either - coz 20 yrs down the line, they'll have to cum back again (if they eva leave in the 1st instance!). I for 1have always felt proud of South Africans for their bravery. Yes we had help from the international community - but it is us South Africans who carried the guns and tyres, and did our own dirty work! Freedom is not cheap and if you try to buy it or forge it - it doesn't last. I do support the idea behind HELPING ppl to regain their country back but I do not support fighting ppl's battles to the point that NATO has done with Libya. By allowing western armed forces to get into any African country and influence issues of regime change through war, we are setting a precedence that says Africans cannot solve their own problems peacefully, Africans are incapable of negotiating political change, Africa is not a politically sound continent. And ppl wonder why Africa is a rich continent (mining, agriculture etc) but under developed and poor... Africans are strong enough to fight their own battles and choose their own leaders. Yes a little help is necessary sometimes but too much of it is not good either. You empower ppl by helpinh them do things for themselves, not by doing it for them! Copy dat Zim...

I am a white South African born and bred.Not a fan of the ANC,BUT,the goverment is right.Stop the bombing.The ANC were elected democratically by the people for the people For the people not the minority.Gadaffi is a tyrant and needs to be removed but not by NATO bombs as they kill inocents as well.Although we might not all agree with the Goverment we should support them as much as we support Democracy. If we do not we only pay lip service to Democracy and That my fellow countrypeople is the route to the demise of our beatiful RSA.Which by the way belongs to us all not just you folks with right wing ideas. VIVA BAFANA

Please remove our criminal governemnt from the UN security council. These scumbags have no moral values and shouldn't be allowed to have a voice in a civilised organisation. The ANC are scumbags and the world needs to realise that they're wasting their time with these fools.

Bomb Gaddafi till we know he's dead...we don't need this dictator. RSA has a criminal government that hijacked Mandela's organisation. The West needs to realise that Zuma and his puppets are criminals and RSA should be removed from the security council ASAP. The ANC is hellbent on dealing with wealthy dictators.

As an ex-SA, I am disgusted at the apathy of government. One would imagine they would follow in the steps of western governments.

Why all of you idiots insulting your govt? None of you are interested in the facts besides just throwing insults, even those who attempted to comment on the govt's position on the Syrian matter misunderstood the context alltogether. The RSA govt is stating the facts as they exist without giving a hoot of how pale skins think and feel about their European next-of-kin butcher tendencies. NATO was formed to PROTECT THEIR MEMBER STATES IF ATTACKED BY THE THEN USSR. Libya has not attacked any of the obsolete NATO member states so far. The only time a Libyan attacked western interests was the Lockerbie bombing in the 80s, the man who planted the bomb was handed to the west by Gaddafi, served his sentence and released by the west again. Gaddafi's regime paid $ 2.7 billion as compensation to all affected families, Gaddafi's regime voluntarily dismantled its WMD programme in pursuit of peace with the west, Gaddafi's regime poured billions of dollars to both UK nad USA as investment for the Libyan people. This money is frozen in those countries as we speak, the US and UK even lie about it being "Gaddafi's money". UN Resolution 1973 implored UN member states to PROTECT CIVILIANS IN LIBYA against any attack, there is nowhere in the resolution that says NATO must provide air fire power to the rebels. These rebels have also killed civilians in govt controlled towns. Any protection of civilians must mean having both warring parties confined to the barracks, now we have NATO joining rebels in attacking cities and killing civilians. The RSA govt is right. You pale skins will rue the day your forebearers set foot in Africa, Juju is gonna be your president very soon.

Unfortunately we have uneducated people running our beloved country therefore they make some comments without have an historical clue about Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. The comment made by SA does not reflect the thinking of the educated people of this country. It is perfectly clear that SA has voted for the UN resolution on one side but support Gaddafi in the other. It is also clear that the ANC wants to stay in power for 40 years just like Gaddafi and they are now worried that the same intervention by NATO could in the future jeopardize their plans for staying in power. Let me assure the ANC that this will not happen here simply because war is a big business and NATO only got stuck in to the Libyan affairs because it profitable for some countries of the Alliance. SA is too far away and it would be a logistical nightmare to send ships and planes down here. This of course it is just in case that we will also get tired of 40 years of ANC domination. The question of civilian people in Libya is just another excuse to justify war, we should let the Libyan people to sort our own affairs, because once the civil war will eventually come to an end the Libyan people will turn against the same people that have dropped bombs in their country.

For a democratic goverment they sure do love regimes where dictators are in power and in every instance try to protect them, mugabe for one, gadaffi 2nd. The ANC was never intended to be a goverment they had one goal, end apartheid, it just so happens the US & world were happy to have saint mandela in power, the ANC is still what it was 50 years ago, the only difference is they are now in office!! The are not democratic, they use that word as a shield and my guess is that within 20 years the same nato will be flying over south africa dropping bombs because the ANC ran the country into the ground, the townships are on fire from the same thing you saw in the middle east and libya.

The problem here is that a negative perception of the general population of South Africa is being formed outside of your borders. Many of the worlds' most wanted terrorists have passports or links to SA. It seems that the SA government is harbouring and protecting terrorists. The SA government took a similar stance on 911 and the events which followed. SA citizens who fought in the Iraq war were outlaws in the eyes of the SA government. At that time I denounced my SA citizenship - and looking at this Gadaffi gig a decade later - I'm glad I did!.

this rich comming from and anc govt that is hell bent on muzzling freedom of speach and expression in SA. suddenly zuma and co are the angels of africa, they could not have agreed with UN1973 if they did not understand that UN military action would lead to a regime change...a pathetic excuse to now criticise UN action - for all itents and purposes gaddafi is commiting genocide in libya by deliberate targeting civilians. UN action will neutralise that threat and surely it will lead to regime change if gaddafi persists - anc govt are you so knaive to believe otherwise or are you now attempting to protect one of your 'struggle' funders. like mugabe and other despots this country is lead by people of same despotic mind.

of course the SA response is the only response they can support because of UNCLE BOB They worry about Swaziland etc but please look at closer to home.

Birds of a feather flock together ... how true is that? Why has the SA government never done anything about Zim? we all know the people of Zimbabwe voted Mugabe out but he stays on .. .the same thing will happen in Libya if the UN did not do anything about it. I just wish they would attack Mugabe the peopel there have spoken and they want him out. The ANC thugs want this sort of thing to continue in the world so they can get away with their **** we the people get tired of them and want them out. People are getting more and more educated and can see this government for what it is ... a bunch of racist theives!!!! especially Malema!!

SA government must worry more about their own house than what is happening to dictators in other parts of Africa.

its about time South Africa minded its own business and attends to things at home, Fluffy Gaddafi must be taken out to save lives, a small price to pay,one life for thousands saved a good trade off. Govermnet just a tad nervous in case nato has to come to the tip of Africa

Why does our governement continue to side with these dictatorial regimes such as Cuba, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Burma,Zimbabwe,Swaziland. In 1994 when we finally kicked the repressive apartheid system and finally had a democracey with the worlds best constitution, South Africa became the envy of the world. What has happened to our moral high ground we once had? Gaddafi is guilty of many many crimes against his own people and against the rest of the world. Why has our governement not just come out and said plainly that he should step down or else be removed? The anc governement is an embarressment to South Africa, they are no longer the party of freedom, humanity and morals that the world once thought they were.

Who cares what the idiotic SA gov thinks - they are just a embarrisment.

Playing the race card again. Zuma must get his fat nose outta Libya, and sort out Magabe on his own doorstep.. Keep out of international politics..

So whether the South African government have an opinion on Syria depends on what NATO is doing. Intersting.

A paralized UN. This has been the case for so long that it is now disfunctional with to much influence from countries that will try and placate all. SA is an example. There will never be a solution with people like SA and other non-paying members influencing direction