NCR: SA gives Zim R300m in farm aid

[epoh]

 

 

 

We gotta love paying TAX to support a dictator and keep his operation running.

 

Source: http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-25_2444962

SA gives Zim R300m in farm aid

 

 

Harare/Johannesburg - Zimbabwe has received agricultural inputs from

the South African government worth over R300m, Zimbabwean state media

reported Monday.

 

The Herald newspaper quoted Zimbabwe's Agricultural Minister Rugare

Gumbo as saying Pretoria had sent, among other items, maize and sorghum

seed, fertilizer and fuel.

 

"The seed being distributed is ideal for late planting and we expect to get some yields come harvest time," Gumbo said.

 

 

On Sunday, Thabo Masebe, a spokesperson for South African President

Kgalema Motlanthe told the South African Broadcasting Corporation that

Pretoria would provide agricultural assistance of R300m to Zimbabwe

only once a new government is formed.

 

Zimbabwe, which is reeling under its worst-ever economic crisis, has

been unable to supply farmers with adequate agricultural inputs for the

2008/2009 season which is already under way.

 

The southern African country's agricultural sector has been on a

downturn for nearly a decade since President Robert Mugabe embarked on

a controversial and violent land restitution programme that saw white

commercial farmers stripped of their land.

 

The situation has been exacerbated by recurrent droughts in the region.

 

 

The Herald also reported that the Southern Africa Development Community

(SADC) has launched a scheme meant to provide humanitarian aid and

agricultural development to Zimbabwe.

 

It quoted SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao as saying the Zimbabwe

Humanitarian Development Assistance Framework was meant to fight the

cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe which has claimed more than 1 000 lives

and infected around 15 000 people since its outbreak in August.

 

"The team realised that under the current situation, we cannot address

the humanitarian assistance if we do not address cholera," Salomao is

quoted as saying.

 

"We are however on the ground in terms of cholera. The situation is

difficult but we are receiving support from countries such as South

Africa, Namibia and Tanzania, among others. It is clear that we cannot

fail. Africa cannot fail on this in assisting Zimbabwe and the people,"

he added.

 

Zimbabwe has declared the cholera outbreak a national emergency and

asked the international community for assistance in curbing the

water-borne disease.

 

Motlanthe, who currently chairs the SADC, has appealed to the 15-member

bloc to assist the once-prosperous nation now experiencing economic

turmoil. Zimbabwe is facing an acute shortage of all essentials ranging

from medical drugs, cash, food, fuel and electricity.

 

Hopes of ending the misery were raised in September when Mugabe and

opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Morgan

Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal.

 

But the pact has stalled as the two fight over who should control key

ministries. Under the deal brokered by the former South African leader

Thabo Mbeki, Mugabe would remain president while Tsvangirai would

become prime minister.

 

Mugabe blames Western sanctions for Zimbabwe's crisis.

 

epoh2008-12-22 05:29:46

[JPW#]

etv said they are holding the money back..until the 2 parties join in gov.

[epoh]

Who knows what the truth is, the Zim government claims differently eh!

[Nedrider]

wonder why Kaglema wants to please Bob when he called all the SADC leaders women.

[Thug]

Actually sickens me that we are supporting this dictator but then again can we expect no less from our corrupt government.