South Africa withholds aid to Zimbabwe

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Posted to the web: 21/11/2008 01:26:23
SOUTH Africa said Thursday it will hold back nearly US$30 million of aid to Zimbabwe until a new government is formed there, as it prepares to host new power-sharing talks next week.

The failure of President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to form a unity government means that "a window of opportunity" for aid had passed, said South African government spokesman Themba Maseko.

South Africa last month approved 300 million rand in agricultural aid to Zimbabwe, subject to conditions, to help short-term food needs.

"However, this aid will not be transferred until such time (as) a representative government is in place," Maseko told journalists.

"Our major concern is that we missed the planting season," he added.

Foreign ministry spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa confirmed Thursday that South Africa will host a fresh round of talks next week under former president Thabo Mbeki, who brokered Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal more than two months ago.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai have yet to form a unity government, despite several failed attempts by regional leaders to implement the agreement aimed at ending the country's political turmoil and economic meltdown.
Mamoepa said the exact date hasn't yet been set for the talks.

The parties will discuss an amendment of the Zimbabwe constitution to allow the creation of a prime ministerial post, designated to Tsvangirai. Mugabe, 84, would remain as president under the deal.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal on September 15.

South Africa's conditional withholding of economic aid follows that of several foreign donors who have refused bail-out packages until a unity government is in place.

Zimbabwe's economy has been in free-fall for years, leaving 80% of the population in poverty and nearly half the country in need of emergency food aid by January, according to the U.N.

South Africa's new leadership has taken a much tougher line on Zimbabwe, in sharp contrast to Mbeki's so-called "quiet diplomacy" that avoided overt criticism of Mugabe - an approach that Tsvangirai repeatedly criticised.

"We are finding it totally unacceptable that at this stage we have this impasse on one or two outstanding matters that in our view are matters that could be resolved by mature leadership around the table," Maseko said Thursday.

But the withholding of the aid package wasn't sanctions, he said. "We need to make sure that it will be used properly... It will be difficult for us to simply transfer your money, the taxpayers money, to a non-existing government."
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