The bank's Vice President for the African Division, Obiageli Ezekwesili: "the report is inaccurate, and that an executive director who made the announcement was not allowed to do so." The bank’s Vice President for the African Division, Obiageli Ezekwesili, says the report is inaccurate, and that an executive director who made the announcement was not allowed to do so.
The bank says Zimbabwe has not yet fulfilled all the requirements that would enable it to receive aid.
Earlier this week, the bank’s executive director, Toga Gayewea-McIntosh, announced that Zimbabwe will receive the money in the next few weeks.
But that’s not true, says the bank.
“It is totally inaccurate. Gayewea-McIntosh is an executive director in the bank, so that means he is a director of the bank on behalf of some constituencies that include Zimbabwe. So he did not speak as a member of the management of the bank.
He spoke as a spokesperson for his constituencies, which include Zimbabwe, so there was a bit of a misinterpretation,” said Ezekwesili.
According to Ezekwesili, the Bank only supports humanitarian projects in Zimbabwe. So far, only South Africa and China have made direct offers of aid.
The two countries made available USd34 million, but Zimbabwe needs at least USd1 billion to pay civil servants and to meet other budgetary expenses. (SABC News)