[size=14pt]South Africa sticks by Gaddafi[/size]
Jacob Zuma loyal because of Gaddafi's support for the anti-apartheid struggle.
Andrew MeldrumAugust 25, 2011 13:55

South Africa and the African Union have remained loyal to longtime friend and ally, the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Here South African President Jacob Zuma shakes hands with Gaddafi on his arrival in Tripoli, Libya on April 10, 2011. (Ntswe Mokoena/AFP/Getty Images)The South African government is stubbornly continuing to support Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, wherever he is.

South African President Jacob Zuma's government blocked a United States proposal at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday to release $1.5 billion in Libyan assets — frozen by the United Nations to starve Gaddafi of resources. The unfrozen funds would go to Libya's rebels.

South Africa agreed to approve $500 million of the package for urgent humanitarian assistance, but it opposes the release of the remaining $1 billion because the National Transitional Council has not yet been recognized by the U.N. itself. It also opposed recognizing the rebels' National Transitional Council.

The U.N. security council has scheduled a vote on the U.S. proposal on Thursday in New York. Both the U.S. and Britain have criticized South Africa's stance.

However it is not just South Africa. Many other African governments do not want to move against Gaddafi, because of his support for them in the past.

But a few African leaders, specifically Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade, Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan and Botswana's Ian Khama, have voiced their support for the rebels.

South African President Jacob Zuma has defended his support for Gaddafi. Zuma said this week that the NATO-backed revolt has undermined the "African Union's efforts and initiatives to handle the situation in Libya."

But Zuma's efforts as an African Union envoy to negotiate a solution to the Libyan crisis fell flat when the rebels rejected his proposal.

South Africa voted for the U.N. Security Council resolution 1973 to protect civilians in Libya, but that move was criticized in South Africa. Government ministers said they regretted the move when they saw NATO's military intervention go beyond a no-fly zone.

Zuma said this week that the Libyan crisis is the latest example of Africa being shown a lack of respect by the rest of the world.

An AU peace and security council meeting in Addis Ababa on Thursday and Friday will deliberate on the "unfolding situation" in Libya, said Zuma. "The AU position has been the most logical one. It still has room in the situation right now."

Zuma may think the African Union will come up with an effective solution, but few others do. The AU has a record of sticking by longtime dictators.



Zuma and other members of South Africa's ruling African National Congress feel loyalty to Gaddafi for his support for the anti-apartheid struggle. Former South African president Nelson Mandela once said: "Those who feel irritated by our friendship with President Gaddafi can go jump in the pool."

But Zuma is criticized for allowing old loyalties to shackle South Africa from forming new, flexible policies for North Africa, where the situation has been fundamentally changed by the protests of the "Arab Spring."

"The South African government has obviously been on the side of Gaddafi from an ideological and historical perspective. It was inevitably going to create a foreign policy nightmare for South Africa," said Stevens Mokgalapa, international relations spokesman for the opposition Democratic Alliance.

"The government never foresaw a future without Gaddafi," said Mokgalapa, according to the Guardian. "They misjudged and mishandled it. It's now about crisis foreign policy management. We are disappointed and appalled by the South African government's stance."

Zuma's adamant stance is also a rebellion against the West.

"South Africa has established a position, which I think is foolish, of trying to show it's not the servant of the West and that Africa should carve out its own independent way in international affairs," said Allister Sparks, a veteran South African political analyst and journalist, to the Guardian.

"It's brought us almost to an ideology that resists anything it perceives to be outside interference," said Sparks. "I don't think Zuma has got many of his own ideas about it. It began with President Thabo Mbeki and it continues."

Sparks added: "It strikes me as absolutely absurd that while people are dancing in the streets celebrating freedom, South Africa is resisting that. South Africa owes a lot of its freedom to foreign intervention, including the West. We end up on the wrong side, the side of tyrants."

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/africa-emerges/south-africa-sticks-gaddafi

But Nigeria which is meant to lead the African continent is supporting rebels as legitimate leaders of libya ,people chosen by the west for the west and not by the libyan people.Big for nothing country.Ordinary electricity is taken a longtime.

Before you insult Nigeria go and learn the difference between taken and taking

@ poster

I can't fault them. The dude helped them out during Apatheid plus the UN has not fully recognized the transitional government. I see no legal reason why any funds should be released to anybody at this point in time.

The ANC is fiercely loyal to its comrades in Africa. Look at Zimbabwe

Goodluck Jonathan - slave and errand boy for america and europe - you will pay for your cowardly stance on libya dont worry.

@cap28, its uncald 4 u to cal GEJ foolish. Y? Gadafi has ova stayed his welcom. S.A are cowards

cicero:

Before you insult Nigeria go and learn the difference between taken and taking

This is not a forum to look for others mistakes you fool. Is english you father language and do you think that your ability to speak english fluently will show us the level of your IQ or how intelligent you are.

I know bastards like you are dumb skulls in school. Nigeria is a failed state believe it or not. thats your problem

olas2u:

But Nigeria which is meant to lead the African continent is supporting rebels as legitimate leaders of libya ,people chosen by the west for the west and not by the libyan people.Big for nothing country.Ordinary electricity is taken a longtime.

Please stop spitting rubbish in public. The real cowards are the South Africans for bowing and trembling before a man whom they never thot would be evacuated from office. Nigeria's stance has always been the part of peace. I support my country, no body deserves to rule a set of people for over four decades! Abeg, na wetin?? Gaddhafi's loot is said to be in the millions of dollars. Himself and family could never be poor, instead he chose to destroy the poor citizens for standing up to him. He deserves to die sef!

That amazes me.

hajifaty:

This is not a forum to look for others mistakes you fool. Is english you father language and do you think that your ability to speak english fluently will show us the level of your IQ or how intelligent you are.

I know bastards like you are dumb skulls in school. Nigeria is a failed state believe it or not. thats your problem

Woe betide you, you prophet of doom. It is yourself and your family that are failed individuals.
Nigeria will prevail, we will stand the test of time, much to your shame!
You just keep abusing people for nothing. Please keep your bitter black heart to yourself and swallow your personal frustration.

GEJ will always dance to the tune of his masters, if only we had Ghadaffi in Nigeria, maybe our country would have been better

blackpanda:

Please stop spitting rubbish in public. The real cowards are the South Africans for bowing and trembling before a man whom they never thot would be evacuated from office. Nigeria's stance has always been the part of peace. I support my country, no body deserves to rule a set of people for over four decades! Abeg, na wetin?? Gaddhafi's loot is said to be in the millions of dollars. Himself and family could never be poor, instead he chose to destroy the poor citizens for standing up to him. He deserves to die sef!

I can see you really dont have an incite into the situation ,so it will take many years for you to understand,but you can read people of the same mind set and learn.Libya is an ethnically divided society ,it is tribe first before country,they have never known democracy,but the socalist system there as brought about about good living and high living standards that could be compared the some western countries.

blackpanda:

Woe betide you, you prophet of doom. It is yourself and your family that are failed individuals.
Nigeria will prevail, we will stand the test of time, much to your shame!
You just keep abusing people for nothing. Please keep your bitter black heart to yourself and swallow your personal frustration.

I wish you the same. Nigeria can only prevail if you and me can only stand up for the truth against the corrupt  leaders but if we can't then no way.
The test of the time that we have been standing up to for the past 50years. Please, tell me when will nigeria pass the test of the time that you are talking about and prevail? in another 50 or 100 years? Please face the reality bro.

I am abusing anyone here but we have to say the truth and it is the only truth can prevail.

olas2u:

I can see you really dont have an incite into the situation ,so it will take many years for you to understand,but you can read people of the same mind set and learn.Libya is an ethnically divided society ,it is tribe first before country,they have never known democracy,but the socalist system there as brought about about good living and high living standards that could be compared the some western countries.

What situation are you talking about here? Development in libya only started a few years ago. Before then it was chaos. Its only when Colonel Ghadafi has swallowed and digested almost all d resources deriveed from oil, and began experiencing some heat in the seat of power that he began to develop. And in the development we are talking about, he awarded all the contracts for reconstruction to himself, his family and cronies. So what development are you talking about?
Whether it is socialism, capitalism or communism, i dont care. No one deserves to rule a country for 40years! i mean, that is just plain ridiculous.! Mind Ghadafi has similarly been pushing for the unification of the entire continent as a single country and with him as the head. This just goes to show you how power-hungry, greedy and corrupt he is. If not for countries like Nigeria who opposed him, the entire continent would have been facing what libya is facing today. So please check your fact correctly before spilling OP

[b]I DO NOT EXPECT GEJ OR ANY SANE NIGERIAN TO SUPPORT GADDAFI WHEN ALL HE COULD OFFER US WAS TO TELL US TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY INTO TWO(NORTH AND SOUTH). A STATEMENT WHICH GEJ HIMSELF WARNED GADDAFI TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT HIS COMMENTS ON OTHER NATIONS. NOW,ALL OF YOU EXPECT THE SAME GEJ AND THE SAME COUNTRY WHICH GADDAFI HAD SAID SHOULD DIVIDE INTO TWO TO  RISE UP AND HELP HIM? ABSOLUTELY NO! NO!! AND NO!!!
.IF NIGERIA WAS THE COUNTRY RUNNING UP AND DOWN LIKE THE SOUTH AFRICA,I'M SURE THAT GADDAFI WOULD BE SMILING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HIS REIGN WOULD BE GUARANTEED BUT SORRY YOU HAVE PROVOKED YOUR SAVIOUR(NIGERIA) WITH YOUR RECKLESS COMMENT.NEXT TIME HE WOULD KNOW HOW TO COMMENT ON OTHER NATIONS ESPECIALLY NIGERIA.

TO ALL OF YOU SAYING NIGERIA IS NOT ACTING LIKE THE GIANT OF AFRICA,LOOK,THIS IS A DELIBERATE ACTION FROM THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT.THEY DELIBERATELY IGNORED GADDAFI. REMEMBER THE INTERVENTION OF NIGERIAN GOVT IN LIBERIA,BURUNDI,SAO TOME,CONGO,EVEN SOUTH AFRICA DURING APARTHEID PERIOD,SOMALIA ETC. SO THESE ARE EXAMPLES TO TELL YOU THAT THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE SAVED LIBYA!    [/b]

olas2u:

But Nigeria which is meant to lead the African continent is supporting  rebels as legitimate leaders of libya ,people chosen by the west for the west and not by the libyan people.Big for nothing country.Ordinary electricity is taken a longtime.

You must have been on weed before you spit this trash out. Think before you comment, what was Gaddafi comment to Nigeria?

paraphase:

I DO NOT EXPECT GEJ OR ANY SANE NIGERIAN TO SUPPORT GADDAFI WHEN ALL HE COULD OFFER US WAS TO TELL US TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY INTO TWO(NORTH AND SOUTH). A STATEMENT WHICH GEJ HIMSELF WARNED GADDAFI TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT HIS COMMENTS ON OTHER NATIONS. NOW,ALL OF YOU EXPECT THE SAME GEJ AND THE SAME COUNTRY WHICH GADDAFI HAD SAID SHOULD DIVIDE INTO TWO TO  RISE UP AND HELP HIM? ABSOLUTELY NO! NO!! AND NO!!!
.IF NIGERIA WAS THE COUNTRY RUNNING UP AND DOWN LIKE THE SOUTH AFRICA,I'M SURE THAT GADDAFI WOULD BE SMILING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HIS REIGN WOULD BE GUARANTEED BUT SORRY YOU HAVE PROVOKED YOUR SAVIOUR(NIGERIA) WITH YOUR RECKLESS COMMENT.NEXT TIME HE WOULD KNOW HOW TO COMMENT ON OTHER NATIONS ESPECIALLY NIGERIA.

With all these bombs going on, dont you think its wise that the Aboki's are allowed to stay on their side of the planet,

paraphase:

I DO NOT EXPECT GEJ OR ANY SANE NIGERIAN TO SUPPORT GADDAFI WHEN ALL HE COULD OFFER US WAS TO TELL US TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY INTO TWO(NORTH AND SOUTH). A STATEMENT WHICH GEJ HIMSELF WARNED GADDAFI TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT HIS COMMENTS ON OTHER NATIONS. NOW,ALL OF YOU EXPECT THE SAME GEJ AND THE SAME COUNTRY WHICH GADDAFI HAD SAID SHOULD DIVIDE INTO TWO TO  RISE UP AND HELP HIM? ABSOLUTELY NO! NO!! AND NO!!!
.IF NIGERIA WAS THE COUNTRY RUNNING UP AND DOWN LIKE THE SOUTH AFRICA,I'M SURE THAT GADDAFI WOULD BE SMILING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HIS REIGN WOULD BE GUARANTEED BUT SORRY YOU HAVE PROVOKED YOUR SAVIOUR(NIGERIA) WITH YOUR RECKLESS COMMENT.NEXT TIME HE WOULD KNOW HOW TO COMMENT ON OTHER NATIONS ESPECIALLY NIGERIA.

 

and dat comment has continously proven to be true, infact so true,  Even d U.S. government purportedly has a report dat says Nigeria wont go beyond 2015.D THE SAME COUNTRY WHICH GADDAFI HAD SAID SHOULD DIVIDE INTO TWO TO  RISE UP AND HELP HIM? ABSOLUTELY NO! NO!! AND NO!!!
.IF NIGERIA WAS THE COUNTRY RUNNING UP AND DOWN LIKE THE SOUTH AFRICA,I'M SURE THAT GADDAFI WOULD BE SMILING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HIS REIGN WOULD BE GUARANTEED BUT SORRY YOU HAVE PROVOKED YOUR SAVIOUR(NIGERIA) WITH YOUR RECKLESS COMMENT.NEXT TIME HE WOULD KNOW HOW TO COMMENT ON OTHER NATIONS ESPECIALLY NIGERIA.

  [/color][/b]
[quote][/quote]
and dat comment has continously proven to be true, infact so true,  Even d U.S. government purportedly has a report dat says Nigeria wont go beyond 2015.

Yes gadaffi is bad but i sti giv him respect dan bush & respect goes 2 SA(dou i 8 d kontri sha)

I never lived in Libya, never visited the place nor met any Libyan in my life. But back in the 80s  I remember all the rage was about Gaddafi and how he was transforming the Libyan society for the better. A lot of the magazines and newspapers then frequently featured him and his projects. So he was a good leader in that the Libyan people were his main focus. Here is a man who not only did these laudable things for his people but also extended his positive influence to other African countries. In a continent filled with clownish despots and shameless greedy nincompoops as leaders how rare is a man like him?

If Libya as a country is holding its own and Libyans have a relatively decent standard of living whats all the rage for then? Democracy? Yeah democracy. You need to define that word for me so I can see if its worth ripping up years of economic stability and progress,internal peace and security for.  Has the man been accused of massacre of his own people? NO. Constituted a threat to his neighbours? No. Ok he had his phase as persona no grata numero uno re his stance and activities towards the  West up to the early 90s. But one must remember that those kind of activities characterised international politics in those days. Even western countries engaged in numerous overt and clandestine engagements which lets just say can not be described as a fiesta. Those were then. The world moved on and values changed slightly. And the man moved with the world. he started to take a more agreeable, cooperative, progressive and global view which was encouraged and celebrated by the West. A view predicated on the philosophy of positive engagement and mutual respect. An immeasurably beneficial stance for the West both politically and commercially.

How is it that the  opinion of the AU doesnt hold sway in a matter regarding an African country? Shouldnt the AU be the first, most reliable and respected source to consult on the way froward in solving any problem of this nature in any of the member states? Would the day ever come that the AU would say `NO` to its wishes and views being  ignored? The events of the last few months in Libya culminating in what we witnessed on the day his house was trashed  make one sad and despondent. Awfully sad

God bless the South African government for standing up against injustice.
GEJ is a big disappointment and hudge failure.

do u guys notice one thing that anytime Nigeria say anything concerning Libya they get bombed Jonathan should mind his business why will he follow westerners like a house boy,he cant handle any serious security issue in Nigeria,and look at him joining westerners to legalised labels. Why joining people better and wiser than you

trouble dey sleep jeje, jona dey go wake ham up.

I'm sorry 4 for dear kontiry.

I think south africa as a nation has the right to choose whom she want to support

There is a more sinister reason why they want the man out,
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread743210/pg1

If the reports of what Gaddafi did for the Libyan people are accurate then I think that is laudable. On the other hand you don't need a dictator to run a socialist system. Its not as if the Libyans are completely incapable of running themselves and there are several examples of social democracies especially in Northern Europe. It might be a tribal society but surely having experienced tyranny for so long the best thing they can do for themselves is to sit down and plot a way forward together? Maybe its just me but I don't understand the support for a man who denies people the basic human right of freedom. Our experiences here in Nigeria are not the basis on which to judge other leaders.

executinal:

You must have been on weed before you spit this trash out. Think before you comment, what was Gaddafi comment to Nigeria?

It is obvious you are dumb and dont know anyything,because he made a comment then the Nigerian government should not support another african country.Nigeria is predicted to break up by 2015,so the people that made that comment ,what should happen to them?The amount of investment in the African continent surpasses Nigeria in other African countries.Investment is better than Aid.He tried to unite the African continent,and also planned for a common currency backed by gold.He contributed 300 million dollars to the to the satellite to make communication for you and me cheaper.But you are short sited .All yoour leaders take their own money to dubai and the west to keep without any investment in Africa or Nigeria.Why should you be a slave of the west.You cannot explore your oil,you cannot refine,you cannot ship the oil,they tell you how much you will sell to them.Dont you think ,your life in Nigeria is dollar based,because you consume all western produced goods ,creating jobs in other places and creating more unemployment in Nigeria,at the moment you are consuming in large quantity blackberry phones and you are all happy with it.

Do any of you Gaddafi supporters actually watch the news?

The vast majority of Libyans want Gaddafi gone. Not one or two people. Not a few. Not most of them. Nearly all of them. They want him out. Watch the news. Watch the people dancing in the streets.

Do you think a "rebel army" could just walk into Libya's capital city as this one has if the people of Tripoli didn't support it? Apart from isolated areas, do you think that a "rebel army" could take the whole city in a couple of days?
Could Boko Haram or MEND take Lagos in a few days if they decided to go to war against the government?
We can't even say that the West won it. NATO's air power is worthless in the streets of Tripoli. It was taken by the Libyan people themselves.

South Africa is playing a game that makes it look like an slowpoke. It supports Gaddafi because he supported the ANC under Apartheid. What was Apartheid? It was a tyranny. Under Apartheid, Africans had no freedom. Under Gaddafi, Libyans had no freedom. Zuma is being a total hypocrite denying the people of Libya that freedom. And he's playing a very dangerous game. Backing the wrong side and shouting about it means that South Africa's voice will not carry as much weight in the world in future times.

For once, Nigeria's politicians got it absolutely right.

faajilawa:

I never lived in Libya, never visited the place nor met any Libyan in my life. But back in the 80s  I remember all the rage was about Gaddafi and how he was transforming the Libyan society for the better. A lot of the magazines and newspapers then frequently featured him and his projects. So he was a good leader in that the Libyan people were his main focus. Here is a man who not only did these laudable things for his people but also extended his positive influence to other African countries. In a continent filled with clownish despots and shameless greedy nincompoops as leaders how rare is a man like him?

If Libya as a country is holding its own and Libyans have a relatively decent standard of living whats all the rage for then? Democracy? Yeah democracy. You need to define that word for me so I can see if its worth ripping up years of economic stability and progress,internal peace and security for.  Has the man been accused of massacre of his own people? NO. Constituted a threat to his neighbours? No. Ok he had his phase as persona no grata numero uno re his stance and activities towards the  West up to the early 90s. But one must remember that those kind of activities characterised international politics in those days. Even western countries engaged in numerous overt and clandestine engagements which lets just say can not be described as a fiesta. Those were then. The world moved on and values changed slightly. And the man moved with the world. he started to take a more agreeable, cooperative, progressive and global view which was encouraged and celebrated by the West. A view predicated on the philosophy of positive engagement and mutual respect. An immeasurably beneficial stance for the West both politically and commercially.

How is it that the  opinion of the AU doesnt hold sway in a matter regarding an African country? Shouldnt the AU be the first, most reliable and respected source to consult on the way froward in solving any problem of this nature in any of the member states? Would the day ever come that the AU would say `NO` to its wishes and views being  ignored? The events of the last few months in Libya culminating in what we witnessed on the day his house was trashed  make one sad and despondent. Awfully sad

thank you

faajilawa:

I never lived in Libya, never visited the place nor met any Libyan in my life. But back in the 80s  I remember all the rage was about Gaddafi and how he was transforming the Libyan society for the better. A lot of the magazines and newspapers then frequently featured him and his projects. So he was a good leader in that the Libyan people were his main focus. Here is a man who not only did these laudable things for his people but also extended his positive influence to other African countries. In a continent filled with clownish despots and shameless greedy nincompoops as leaders how rare is a man like him?

If Libya as a country is holding its own and Libyans have a relatively decent standard of living whats all the rage for then? Democracy? Yeah democracy. You need to define that word for me so I can see if its worth ripping up years of economic stability and progress,internal peace and security for.  Has the man been accused of massacre of his own people? NO. Constituted a threat to his neighbours? No. Ok he had his phase as persona no grata numero uno re his stance and activities towards the  West up to the early 90s. But one must remember that those kind of activities characterised international politics in those days. Even western countries engaged in numerous overt and clandestine engagements which lets just say can not be described as a fiesta. Those were then. The world moved on and values changed slightly. And the man moved with the world. he started to take a more agreeable, cooperative, progressive and global view which was encouraged and celebrated by the West. A view predicated on the philosophy of positive engagement and mutual respect. An immeasurably beneficial stance for the West both politically and commercially.

How is it that the  opinion of the AU doesnt hold sway in a matter regarding an African country? Shouldnt the AU be the first, most reliable and respected source to consult on the way froward in solving any problem of this nature in any of the member states? Would the day ever come that the AU would say `NO` to its wishes and views being  ignored? The events of the last few months in Libya culminating in what we witnessed on the day his house was trashed  make one sad and despondent. Awfully sad

thank you

S.Africa is in the right in my opinion. Gej is a useless blockhead houseboy for his reaction! The AU had a pact to always protect their leaders n nations in times of political problems, Gadaffi had always done this only 4 cowardly leaders lyk Gej to turn their back wen he needed dem most. Nato empowering rebels against a democratic govt is irespinsible & totally wrong! mark my words dis would soon become a trend to oust African leaders hated by d west by empowering their people 2 fight dem. Rememba biafra!