South Africa Cuts Ties with Zimbabwe Cricket Due to Crisis

South African cricket has added its voice to a chorus of condemnation of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s regime, suspending sporting agreements with its counterpart, Zimbabwe cricket, APA learned on Wednesday.

The decision was announced by the president of Cricket South Africa, Norman Arendse, who said the Zimbabwean crisis had reached a tipping point on Sunday when Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the presidential runoff election and took refuge in the Dutch embassy on Monday.

“It is our responsibility to put pressure on the Mugabe government,” Arendse said, by not interacting with Zimbabwe cricket.

He said Cricket South Africa took the decision because of the “unacceptable levels of violence” in Zimbabwe, and Tsvangirai’s reason for pulling out of Friday’s poll.

Cricket South Africa’s decision to suspend all agreements with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union means that that country’s teams will not be accommodated in the South African provincial leagues.

South Africa will also withdraw its financial assistance for Zimbabwean cricket.

And if the International Cricket Council, which meets on Wednesday to review it relationship with Zimbabwe follows South Africa’s lead, the Zimbabwe team will be excluded from the Champions Trophy, due to be played in September.

Next year’s planned tour of England, which is already the source of much controversy in Britain, would be canceled.

The decision follows a recent call by Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu for a boycott of Zimbabwe cricket.

Source African Press Agency

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