Picket outside Inter Parliamentary Union meeting

By Rhodé Marshall
17 April 2008

The People Against Suffering Suppression Oppression and Poverty (PASSOP) and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) will be holding a picket outside of the Inter Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) meeting to ask the IPU to use its authority to intervene in the Zimbabwean situation. The protest takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre

“We believe intervention is necessary. We believe that the sovereignty of South Africa has been attacked through three million people being forced into South Africa through starvation,” says PASSOP spokesperson Braam Hanekom.

He says the mismanagement of Zimbabwe is directly responsible for them being in South Africa and that this time over the electoral period is a window of opportunity for government to intervene.

“We can not tolerate reckless remarks like the comment passed by our President (Thabo Mbeki) that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe. (This) will only further encourage xenophobic attacks.

“We really hope that this protest will influence the leadership in Africa and the members of parliament at the Inter Parliamentary Union meeting to act and not just talk,” says Hanekom.

Hanekom adds that they are encouraged by the Speaker of Parliament and says he hopes they follow through with action.

The protest will be from 12:00 – 14:00.