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The
Democratic Alliance yesterday asked whether the government's
opposition to the Anglo-US invasion of Iraq last year was really
out of concern for the future of the United Nations and a
multilateral world system - or whether funding for the governing
party played a role.
Reacting to an article in Friday's Mail & Guardian newspaper,
DA spokesperson Raenette Taljaard asked whether South Africa's
position was based on sound considerations or "whether a crude form
of oil-for-diplomatic support and possible financial benefit for
the ruling party trumped all other considerations".
The DA also called on Zuma to answer parliamentary questions it had
submitted on the issue and said those mentioned in the list of 270
companies, individuals and governments that allegedly received oil
allocations from Saddam Hussein's regime had to co-operate with the
investigation of the matter announced by the Iraqi Governing
Council.
"These allegations have raised serious questions about South
Africa's foreign policy towards the former Hussein-regime and the
motivations behind the high profile visits of Tariq Aziz, former
foreign minister of Iraq, to South Africa in July 2002, and the
return visit by deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad to
Saddam Hussein's Iraq in September 2002," Taljaard said.
"Minister Zuma owes South Africa and the world answers ... South
Africa's foreign policy cannot and must never be seen to be for
sale to the highest bidder.
"The Iraqi Governing Council has reportedly instructed the oil
ministry to probe the recent allegations and indicated that it will
seek further information from governments and those mentioned and
that it would enlist the assistance of Interpol and local law
enforcement agencies in this process," a DA statement read. –
Sapa.
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