MDC seeks to reassure donors

SOUTH Africa should not withhold aid to Zimbabwe because past donations have been squandered, Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa said yesterday.

This is a new administration. It's a clean pair of hands, he said.

According to Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper, nine legislators — two from
Zanu-PF and the rest from the MDC — have been named as party to the
misappropriation of fertiliser and seed sent last year to Zimbabwe as
part of a R300-million South African agricultural aid package.

Chamisa spoke as Southern African Development Community ministers
gathered in Cape Town to discuss the size and shape of a massive aid
package for the crippled country.

New prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai said last week Zimbabwe could need as much as R50-billion in aid.

And he has already scored major successes with donors. Yesterday it
emerged that the donor community was ready to pump 600-million into
Zimbabwe.

This followed Tsvangirai's meeting with representatives of donor
nations last week after he promised civil servants that they would be
paid in foreign currency.

Stan Rylander, Sweden's ambassador to Zimbabwe, was quoted by state
media as saying: The donor community has pledged 100-million a month
for the next six months. About 50-million will be used for civil
servants' salaries.

Other Western donors have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. They are not
convinced Mugabe will keep his end of the bargain in the unity
government.

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