By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

PRETORIA, Zimbabwe – Today United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, met with South African President Jacob Zuma in Durban in order to discuss ways to build stronger ties between the two countries.

The U.S. wants South Africa to boost its leadership role in Africa, especially regarding international trade.

“We believe that South Africa has so much more economic potential and it cannot exist as an island of relative prosperity amid a sea of untapped opportunity elsewhere on the continent,” said Mrs. Clinton.

Increasing trade with African countries may be more complex than it may seem because the region is currently in a recession and must first respond to the major domestic issues, such as their struggle with AIDS, widespread poverty, and unemployment.  Also, countries such as Somalia suffer from bouts of impunity that need to be resolved before the country can focus on trade.

Previous relations between South Africa and the U.S. have not always been smooth.  President Zuma’s predecessor Thabo Mbeki and President Bush established uneasy relations regarding the fight against AIDS and the Iraq invasion.

This new relation between Pretoria and Washington will also help with issues such as the long-serving Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.  Both the European Union and the U.S. are upholding a travel ban and asset freeze on Mugabe, and his family, for alleged human rights abuses by his government.

“We are attempting to target the leaders of Zimbabwe with sanctions that we think might influence their behavior without hurting the people of Zimbabwe,” said Clinton.

Zuma, who assumed the presidency in May, has a different mentality then his predecessor, Mbeki, who scoffed at the U.S. regarding their attempts to punish Mugabe.

While at an American-financed clinic, Clinton declared that, “we have to make up for lost time.”

Clinton is on the second leg of an African tour which will take her to Angola on Sunday before she heads to Nigeria, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cape Verde.

For more information, please see:
AFP – US and S. Africa Pledge Work for ‘Free” Zimbabwe – 7 August 2009

BBC – Clinton Meets South Africa’s Zuma – 7 August 2009

New York Times – Clinton Seeks South African Support on Zimbabwe – 7 August 2009

VOA News – South African President Zuma, US Secretary of State Clinton Meet in Durban – 8 August 2009