/ 18 July 2005

Mugabe pleads for SA aid

Embattled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has appealed to South Africa for a loan of several hundred million rands to buy fuel, food, seed, and fertiliser.

According to media reports, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are preparing to call in Zimbabwe’s debt of R4,5-billion next week.

Mugabe’s appeal to South Africa was apparently made to Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka during her visit to Zimbabwe last Tuesday.

It is reliably understood that Mugabe was told that any help from South Africa will be subject to ”strict pre-conditions”.

Apparently one of the pre-conditions is that the country’s clean up operation — which has left about 400 000 people homeless — be immediately stopped.

An unnamed senior government official was quoted as saying Mlambo-Ngcuka’s visit was aimed at finding out what Zimbabwe intended and how South Africa could help.

”We also wanted to see what conditions could be imposed, should South Africa agree to render aid,” the official said.

A Zimbabwean delegation met Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to discuss the credit line, Business Day reported on Monday.

It quoted unnamed sources as saying South African Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni also attended the meeting.

Banking sources said the South African credit line would be the in hundreds of millions of rands rather than billions of rands.

Government spokesperson approached by the South African Press Association on Monday said they would only be able to comment later in the day.

According to the reports, Mlambo-Ngcuka formally told Mugabe that relations between the two countries could reach a ”turning point” when United Nations envoy Anna Tibaijuka releases her report on the clean up operation in less than two weeks in New York.

President Thabo Mbeki and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan have both indicated they will wait for the report before taking an official stance.

The newspaper said that according to informed sources, the report will deliver a damning condemnation.

Mbeki’s spokesperson declined to comment on the reports on Sunday, and referred enquiries to government communications (GCIS) head Joel Netshitenzhe.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson also declined to comment, referring enquiries to Mlambo-Ngcuka’s office.

Netshitenzhe said the SA government had been in discussions with Zimbabwe on ”a wide range of issues”, but he was unaware of any agreements having been reached.

Mlambo-Ngcuka’s spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Mugabe goes to China

Meanwhile, ZImbabwe’s state media said Mugabe will visit China from Saturday for talks with senior leaders including his counterpart Hu Jintao.

Following sanctions and isolation by Western countries over the political crisis in the country, Zimbabwe adopted a ”Look East” policy, fostering new relations with Asian countries, particularly China, Malaysia and Singapore.

Mugabe has won backing from China with Wu Bangguo, chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, voicing support for his controversial land reform programme on a visit to Harare last year.

Mugabe last visted China in 1999. – Sapa