Barry Streek
The Dutch government would continue supporting NGOs after it cut back on its development assistance to South Africa in 2004, the country’s Prime Minister, Wim Kok, said this week.
It would continue current levels R750-million over five years but South Africa did not fit into Holland’s criteria for aid, which include levels set for average income.
“Despite the differences within South Africa, the averages are clearly above those levels. After 2004 there is room for specific programmes relating to priorities set by both your government and our government, also listening to NGOs in the field of global dimension, for example Aids, health care, education or youth-related programmes. We don’t like to forget the economic sector,” he said.
“We are one of the bigger donors for Aids within the United Nations programme, in addition to the direct bilateral channels.” Asked if Holland would continue its support to NGOs after 2004, he replied: “Absolutely, absolutely.”
Kok said that although South Africa had many problems to solve internally, he praised the country’s “courageous role in the international arena and I also welcome contributions South Africa makes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Angola”.
Zimbabwe was a problem for everyone, not just South Africa, and the Zimbabwean government should know that the whole world was watching developments very closely.
Kok told President Thabo Mbeki that he fully understood that it made a difference if people looked at Zimbabwe from far away, such as in the northern part of Europe, rather than looking at Zimbabwe as a neighbour.
However, he did not think events in Zimbabwe were hampering possible Dutch investments in South Africa.
ENDS