Shh the public can't be told the whole truth

All day the BBC have been heavily reporting that:

"Russia and China vetoed the resolution, saying the situation in Zimbabwe posed no threat to international security."

So imagine my surprise when I read further down the report and found that in fact five countries voted against sanctions: China, Libya, Russia,
South Africa and Vietnam. The BBC hint at the role of South Africa just a little down the report when the BBC say:

"South Africa said sanctions would interfere with attempts to form a national unity government."

but you have to read much further to learn that:

"South Africa - which is hoping that President Mugabe and the opposition can reach a deal on a power-sharing - voted against sanctions, leading to accusations from the US that it was protecting Mr Mugabe. South Africa's representative, Dumisani Kumalo, said sanctions would interfere with dialogue that would lead to improvements in the humanitarian and economic situation."

To the BBC's collective mind, formed during the "fight against apartheid", South Africa is now a "good" country and so the normal criticisms cannot be applied to that Country. In reality South Africa is heading down a similar path to Zimbabwe and I predict a land redistribution programme to start within 5 years. Don't forget that under the rule of Thabo Mbeki, Last year South Africa voted against a UN resolution calling for the Burmese junta to stop attacking ethnic minorities and engage in substantive dialogue with the democratic opposition. The South African rulers, having backed sanctions against their own country during "fight against apartheid", now seem to doubt the effectiveness of such action on any other country's repressive rulers.