ANC snubs Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe's call to the African National Congress (ANC) to ignore the recent ruling by the Pretoria High Court that South Africa must investigate Zimbabwean officials over allegations of torture has been dismissed by the ANC.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said his party will respect the rule of law.

Speaking at yesterday's opening ceremony of the meeting of former liberation movements gathered in Harare, Mugabe said the liberation political parties have to guard against "renewed efforts by the West to recolonise Africa."

"We have to be alert and alive as liberation movements because the imperialists are searching for avenues to recolonise us and the recent ruling by a Boer in South Africa is a case which our colleagues in ANC have to deal with," Mugabe said.

However, in response to Mugabe's call for solidarity against the ruling, Mantashe said his country would respect the courts' ruling.

"The ANC does not ignore the rule of law, so we respect the ruling made in the High Court," he said.

The ANC's position comes as another blow to Zanu-PF which recently suffered a major setback after last week's Sadc Troika in Angola refused to budge on its demands to hold elections without the full implementation of agreed reforms.