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to the leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Tony Leon of the DemocraticAlliance, Mbeki had authorised a South African airforce plane to carry supplies insupport of Aristide’s government in its last days. The plane reportedly had ashipment of 150 R-1 rifles, 5,000 bullets, 200 smoke grenades and 200 bullet-proofvests. 635 Parliament was indeed informed in December 2003 of the deployment ofSouth African troops to “assist the Government of Haiti in celebrating two hundredyears of its independence and victory in the struggle against slavery in theAmericas”. 636 A total of 139 personnel were deployed, along with 1 combat supportship, 1 harbour patrol boat, and one helicopter. It was not clarified how thisdeployment would assist in a celebration. The expected costs were R2m, at theexpense of the Department of Foreign Affairs. 637Aristide is viewed with equal amounts of sympathy and opprobrium on the twosides of the debate about his leadership of Haiti. In spite of his deteriorating humanrights record, he was seen as an anti-establishment, anti-elite figure 638 for hisespousal of ‘liberation theology’ and a ‘priority option for the poor’. Indeed, hislargest support base was among the poor and dispossessed of Haiti, mirroring thatof the ANC in South Africa. This provided a strong ideological background forSouth Africa’s decision to participate in the Haiti crisis in the manner that it did.7.3.2. How does it comply with internationalism?South Africa’s engagement on the Haiti question has a mixed record as anintervention along the lines of southern internationalism. While the rhetoricemployed by the African National Congress, through its President, Thabo Mbeki,and the government, made much of the democratic and populist credentials ofPresident Jean-Bertrand Aristide, there remained some question marks over the635 BBC News, “Haiti arms row rocks South Africa”, 15 March, 2004. Accessed online at:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/3513006.stm on 7 December, 2010.636 Parliamentary Hansard. 2004. “Employment of the South African National DefenceForce in Haiti in Fulfillment of the International Obligations of the Republic of SouthAfrica Towards the United Nations”. 9 February, 2004, pp345-348.637 Ibid.638 Hausotter, “The Uses of Peacekeeping”,150.250