Africa News

Tutu says South Africa's legacy 'betrayed' over Zimbabwe

Dec 24, 2008, 9:17 GMT

Archbishop Desmond Tutu said Wednesday that South Africa had \'betrayed its own legacy\' by failing to remove Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe from power. EPA/STR

London - Archbishop Desmond Tutu said Wednesday that South Africa had 'betrayed its own legacy' by failing to remove Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe from power.

In a BBC interview broadcast Wednesday, the archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner accused South Africa of losing the moral high ground by failing to stand up to Mugabe.

'We should have been the ones who for a very long time occupied the moral high ground. I'm afraid we have betrayed our legacy.'

Tutu said he was saddened that his own country appeared not to be on the side of suffering Zimbabweans.

'I want to say first of all that I have been very deeply disappointed, saddened by the position that South Africa has taken at the United Nations Security Council in being an obstacle to the Security Council dealing with that matter.

'And I have to say that I am deeply, deeply distressed that we should be found not on the side of the ones who are suffering. I certainly am ashamed of what they've done in the United Nations.

'For the world to say 'no, we are waiting for South Africa's membership of the Security Council to lapse and then we can take action.' How much more suffering is going to make us say 'No we have given Mr Mugabe enough time?''

Instead of using its leadership role in the Southern African Development Community, South Africa had 'betrayed its legacy' by blocking firmer action from the United Nations, Tutu told the BBC's Radio 4.