South Africa does U-Turn Gives R300 Million Aid Direct to Zanu PF

The South African government has gone against its word and provided the regime in Harare with farming inputs, forming part of the 300 million rand package it promised to dispense only when a unity government was in place.

But Zimbabwe's agriculture Minister Rugare Gumbo confirmed to the state media this week that farming inputs forming part of the aid package had arrived in the country.

This contravenes the conditions of the aid that were outlined in September when the plan was announced, which said the R300m in aid was conditional upon the successful formation of a unity government between Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the two factions of the MDC.

South Africa has also failed to explain why and how inputs have been given to the regime, when they announced back in September that they would only provide funds through aid agencies and Non Governmental Organisations.

Responding to what it called 'confusing reports in the media' South African government spokesperson Thabo Masebe confirmed that they were providing the aid to Zimbabwe. He however said it would be released through new SADC mechanisms that were announced last week and they were satisfied that it would reach the intended recipients in a non-partisan manner. He did not explain the Zimbabwe state media reports that said the aid was already there.

It is well known that Mugabe uses food aid as a political tool and blocks it's distribution to areas that voted for the MDC in the March elections. Farming inputs are also distributed in a partisan manner, given only to ZANU PF card carrying members.

MDC MP for Mbare in Harare, Piniel Denga, told us they 'smelt a rat' when it was announced during last week's ZANU PF conference in Bindura that their supporters would get a Christmas bonus of farming inputs.

'Since we knew they lacked the capacity to buy these inputs we just wondered where the goods would come from, but now we know thanks to the state media. The South African government can never be trusted on issues concerning ZANU PF, they protect and look after their interests,' Denga claimed.

The legislator added; 'What the South Africans should know is that by giving inputs like fertilizer to ZANU PF is as good as sprinkling it along the mighty Zambezi river - just wait and see.'