The United Kingdom government announced on Wednesday that it will be giving a total of $100million (£60m) to Zimbabwe, in humanitarian support in 2009 and 2010. The announcement was made by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he pledged an additional $8 million (£5m) for food security and educational textbooks, during a meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday.
The UK's International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, said: "Our £60 million package will provide support directly to Zimbabwe's poorest people. Our assistance has already helped one million people in Zimbabwe get access to clean water and has enabled two million to grow more food, as well as helping get the worst cholera outbreak in the country's history under control."
"The new inclusive Zimbabwean Government presents a real opportunity to help the Zimbabwean people and to support economic, political and social reform. We stand ready to provide more support should we see further progress towards reform." The UK said the funds will be channelled through non-governmental organisations and the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tsvangirai winds up his three week long re-engagement and fundraising tour in western countries this week, with a final visit to France. The Prime Minister has reportedly raised $150million, mostly in humanitarian aid, but this is much less that the more than $8 billion the coalition needs to rebuild the country, over a five year period.
Furthermore, western governments have insisted that aid pledges will go through specific NGO projects and not directly to the government. They say full developmental aid will only be given when the Zimbabwean government shows proper democratic reforms. Most of the promised aid will be in the form of humanitarian assistance in areas of health and education.
Economists such as Tony Hawkins say the aid pledges provide little comfort for the government, which faces a growing financing problem. He says frustrated civil servants are demanding a return to "proper salaries" to replace the existing $100 a month allowance being paid to all public servants. "These allowances absorb almost a third of projected revenue of $880m. In May, revenue was estimated at $60m and it is estimated that by the end of this month the Treasury will have raised less than 35 per cent of its revenue target for the whole year."
Hawkins says the situation is exacerbated by wage awards in the private sector, where workers are being paid more than double their public service counterparts.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai told reporters in London this week that the money pledged so far is sufficient to support basic services like health, education and food production. He said there have been significant changes in Zimbabwe since the formation of the unity government in February, adding: "As a society, we were near death, and we have come back to life."
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Rhodesian Welfare for morons who can't run a country. Mr. Rhodes was right all along.
Now note here that they money is being channeled through the NGO's and not going via Bob's back pocket. This can only be very good news for the poor destitute people ( no, not you Takunya) get ahead in life. Note also this former colonial oppressor is actually the helper, which just goes to show it has been Bob who has been raping and pillaging the country for the last 30 years with takunya's help, who keeps on using my brothers farm equipment without consent. So well done Mr brown for clawing back all your MP's expenses and helping the needy in Zimbabwe. We thankyou for your generosity.
What a disgrace to criminal Mugabe that donor governments are bypassing him & Gono to direct aid to people circumventing the rotten corrupt presidential grip on disbursement of funds !
Tyrant Mugabe has no conscience, otherwise he would have long resigned! Even Mbeki's case could not serve him as an example!
What sort of patriot his bootlickers call him??
wHAT A disgrace- GETTING DOSH FROM RACISTS WHITES - HEY MUGGA DONT U THING IT IS TIME U SAID THANK U - HAVE SOME MANNERS SCROUNGER!!!
TIME TO RETURN THE LOOT
The British moronic Giddy Brown is not 'giving' anything to Zimbabwe.
The INVADER fears China, and the soc-called aid, which her invading ancestors stole from Africa, is nothing but an attempt to stop the growing Chinese influence in Africa. Understandable but, in the end, INVADER BRITAIN, desperately trying to influence events in Southern Africa, will be trounced by Chinese FINANCIAL POWER.
Pathetic little britain!
Mr. Brown return all the stolen loot; give Zimbabweans every dime your thieving ancestors stole from the ancestors of Zimbabweans, for you cannot take what does not belong to you and, logically, you cannot 'give', qua "aid" or under any other financial subterfuge, what your ancestors stole!
Time for the loot to re-turn.
Categorizing loot as "aid" or "assistance" is mendacious. Just send the loot back to Zimbabwe, benefactor of INVADER BARBARISM, Mons. Brown!
That would a baby step into a world of civilized conduct.
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