The United Kingdom will do all in its power to ensure that no Zimbabwean starves during the period leading up to the establishment of a democratically accountable government in that country, the Minister For Africa at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Chris Mullin, said on Monday.
Speaking in Cape Town at the Centre for Conflict Resolution, the minister noted that Britain took the lead from South Africa regarding the situation in that country but said: “I should also make it clear that, once there is a democratically accountable government in Zimbabwe, working for the interests of its own people, we are ready to help lead the international community’s efforts to rebuild the country.
“In the meantime, we will do all in our power to ensure that no Zimbabwean starves, and to help tackle the HIV/Aids crisis (in that country).”
He told journalists that the UK was aware that “quite a lot of work is going on” behind the scenes “to try and reach a settlement” — taking note that South African President Thabo Mbeki “and others have been working hard to help the negotiations between (the ruling) Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change bear fruit”.
“But for these talks to succeed there has to be a serious commitment to dialogue. In this context the recent closure of the Daily News (in Harare) and the locking up of trade union leaders sends the wrong signal and these must be reversed.”
While indicating that he was “not in favour of hysteria”, one could not understate what had happened in Zimbabwe. “In that country … to have reduced that country to ruins in such a short period is not a small achievement.”
Last winter more than half of the population was dependent on food aid while 70% to 80% of the population was believed to be unemployed.
There were reports that there were three-million Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa, said Mullin.
Asked if the UK could reach the point of taking overt action — such as support for opposition movements — Mullin said that it had to be borne in mind that the UK had been the colonial power. South Africa took the lead in the region and the UK “listens to the advice from South Africa”.
But he knew that a country could not be run with 400% inflation. This had to come to a halt “sooner or later”. – I-Net Bridge