By Joe Lauria
South Africa has decided not to use its position as president of the Security Council to try to block a report to the council on the situation in Zimbabwe.
South Africa's ambassador to the UN, Dumisani Kumalo, has made it clear that although he did not think Zimbabwe was a Security Council issue, he would not stop the briefing because as president of the Security Councilm for March, he could not do that. "I facilitate the work of the council," he said.
The report would also go ahead because it was on humanitarian affairs, he said.
"It is not a matter threatening international peace and security, so to bring it to this council is surprising," said Kumalo.
"But all that has been called for is the (UN) Secretariat to brief the council."
Emyr Jones Parry, Britain's UN ambassador, told reporters he had asked for the briefing "because of the widespread condemnation of events in Zimbabwe, the attacks on the leader of the opposition, Morgan Tsvangirai, and the impossibility of the present situation".
With Zimbabwe also "facing an economic meltdown and now this brutality, I think it is right that we should ask for this briefing".
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon slammed Kumalo's statement that Zimbabwe was not a Security Council issue because it did not affect international peace and security.
This was the same argument SA had used to defend its vote against a recent resolution condemning the human rights abuses of the military junta in Myanmar (Burma), Leon said. It was the excuse used to block Security Council debates on apartheid South Africa and showed also "a fundamental misreading of the extent of the crisis in Zimbabwe".
"As the situation continues to get worse on a daily basis, there is a distinct possibility that the southern African region will be negatively affected by the fallout from Zimbabwe's implosion. This fallout could in all likelihood constitute a threat to international peace and security."