A coalition of human rights, legal and union activists has succeeded in preventing a Chinese ship from delivering 77 tons of weapons and ammunitions to Zimbabwe's army via the South African port of Durban. South African President Thabo Mbeki had earlier said that the government was "powerless" to stop the transfer, but activists obtained a court order to seize the cargo. However, the Chinese state-owned ship - the An Yue Jiang - is reportedly still on the move. (Washington Post; SF Gate; Guardian audio report)

Update: The ship is going back to China (Guardian)

Post-script:
'The people of southern Africa have helped turn the course of events by expressing revulsion both with events in Zimbabwe and with the maddening inaction of their own leaders. This was a rare occasion in Africa when the public led and governments followed.' The U-turn 'has the makings of a defining passage in the epilogue of Robert Mugabe’s 28-year rule' (FT)

 


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