A South African union has refused to unload arms from a Chinese ship destined for Zimbabwe, in a politically charged move challenging President Thabo Mbeki's handling of relations with the neighbouring state.
Unions have been highly critical of Mr Mbeki for not taking a tougher line against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who is locked in an election stalemate with the opposition over the delay of results from a March 29th election that has raised fears of violence.
The An Yue Jiang anchored outside Durban harbor, South Africa, Photo: AP
The 300,000-strong South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) said it would not unload the
weapons in the port city of Durban because Mr Mugabe's government might use them to crack down on opponents in the disputed election.
The weapons were to be transported to land-locked Zimbabwe.
"We are concerned that the current standoff could mean the arms would fall into the hands of those who want to use military force against the people of Zimbabwe," SATAWU General Secretary Randall Howard said.
"The South African government cannot be seen as propping up a military regime," he said.
Mr Howard said the union refused to handle four containers on the vessel which contain arms and ammunition.
A South African government spokesman has confirmed there are weapons on the ship, but said his country would not interfere in a trade matter between China and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's deputy information minister, Bright Matonga, said that no party had the right to stop the shipment. "Every country has got a right to acquire arms. There is nothing wrong with that. If they are for Zimbabwe, they will definitely come to Zimbabwe," he told South Africa's SAfm radio.
"How they are used, when they are going to be used is none of anybody's business."
The vessel, An Yue Jiang, has been cleared to dock and unload its cargo in Durban, transport officials said.
China is under an international spotlight over its human rights record and rule in Tibet ahead of hosting the Olympics in August. Violent protests have followed the Olympic torch across the globe.
China's foreign ministry said in a short statement that it had seen the reports about the ship, but "did not understand the actual situation".
"China and Zimbabwe maintain normal trade relations. What we want to stress is, China has always had a prudent and responsible attitude towards arms sales, and one of the most important principles is not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," said the statement.
Mr Mugabe is under heavy international pressure to release the result of the presidential election, which the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says it won, ending the veteran leader's long rule.
Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF party lost control of parliament for the first time in a parallel election, but no results have been issued yet for the presidential poll.
Mr Mbeki, who has been acting as a regional mediator between Mugabe and the opposition, has come under fire for his quiet diplomacy in Zimbabwe. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday called for Mr Mbeki to be removed as a mediator.