Harare — South African President Jacob Zuma has told the International Monetary Fund to resume lending to Zimbabwe as he continues the battle to end the illegal economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.

However, just like recently when his call to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the European Union and its Western partners to lift the embargo did not get a positive response, the IMF maintained it was still not prepared to resume lending to Zimbabwe.

IMF boss Mr Dominique Strauss-Kahn cited "concerns" about the country's political situation.

"We are not yet at the point where resuming lending is possible," Mr Strauss-Kahn told reporters after meeting President Zuma yesterday following a two-day visit to South Africa.

He said he discussed Zimbabwe during his talks on Tuesday with President Zuma, who said aid should resume flowing to Harare.

"We are happy to help. We are ready to help, but . . . as long as the political situation will not make it possible to come back on track in terms of arrears and governance, it will be very difficult for us to come back," Mr Strauss-Kahn said.

However, the political and economic environment in the country has improved following the formation of the inclusive Government last year.

Zimbabwe owes about US$140 million in arrears to the IMF. Collectively, the country owes over US$5 billion to lending institutions.

The IMF last month restored Zimbabwe's voting rights after a seven-year suspension, but said Harare would not be able to access loans until the arrears are settled.

President Zuma, the Sadc mediator in Zimbabwe's political dialogue, has lobbied for Western nations and multilateral lenders to resume aid to Harare to help the inclusive Government function efficiently.

But the EU and the United States recently extended their illegal sanctions by another year.

Prime Minister Brown said after meeting President Zuma during his State visit to Britain that the sanctions would be lifted when there was progress on reforms.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has also taken a step to call for the lifting of the illegal sanctions.

This was after British Foreign Secretary Mr David Miliband had said his country would only lift the sanctions at the behest of MDC-T.

But barely a day after PM Tsvangirai had shifted his stance on sanctions, the Barack Obama administration extended its embargo by another year, insisting that more should be done by the inclusive Government.

President Mugabe, while speaking to editors of media institutions in the country last week, welcomed PM Tsvangirai's call for the lifting of the sanctions.

President Mugabe, who is Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, said the PM should set up a team to engage the West on the sanctions.

Herald Reporter-AFP