Maravi

Tsvangirai asks for SA’s financial assistance

Tsvangirai asks for SA’s financial assistance
Written by Kingsley Kaswende in Harare
Sunday, February 22, 2009 3:50:17 AM

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has asked South African president Kgalema Motlanthe for a financial package that will help rescue the Zimbabwean economy. And Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe yesterday celebrated a quiet 85th birthday at his residence in Harare.

At a press briefing soon after the meeting with President Motlanthe in Cape Town on Friday, Tsvangirai said the country would need as much as US $5 billion to repair the battered economy.

Tsvangirai said the immediate short-term focus of the new inclusive government was to look at short-term interventions to get Zimbabwe back on its feet, specifically in areas such as health and education and the provision of food.

"As for the medium to long-term economic recovery... I think it could run into billions of dollars. Maybe as high as US $5billion," he said.

Tsvangirai’s meeting with Motlanthe comes ahead of a SADC finance ministers’ meeting to craft a plan to assist Zimbabwe.

Finance minister Tendai Biti and foreign affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi accompanied Tsvangirai to South Africa.

Biti also met his South African counterpart Trevor Manuel. President Motlanthe said South Africa had directed regional finance ministers to develop a plan to help Zimbabwe.

"They have presented to us their preliminary plan to respond to these challenges which we have agreed to deal with. There are no figures to speak of, these are going to be crunched by technical people and finance ministers to be meeting on these issues," he said.

Motlanthe said this was a work in progress and that by the end of next week there would be a clearer detailed action plan.

Government sources said Tsvangirai was hoping to get a 10 billion rand aid package from South Africa to shore up the economy..

They said Tsvangirai approached South Africa because President Motlanthe had pledged to rally support for Zimbabwe once a coalition government was in place.

Meanwhile, President Mugabe celebrated a quiet 85th birthday yesterday.

Previously, his birthday celebrations, which coincided with what is known as the February 21 revolution, were marked with huge celebrations at which thousands attended.

This time, the February 21 revolution will be celebrated next Saturday in Chinhoyi town, about 100 km north of Harare.

About 80 cattle, 70 goats and 12 pigs have been gathered for the celebrations.

Sources yesterday said he celebrated his birthday at home where he and his family cut and ate a cake.

British-based charity Save the Children, however, said on Friday that President Mugabe's 85th birthday was nothing to celebrate for young people living in poverty.

"... One in 10 children (is) destined to die before their fifth birthday," said spokesperson Sarah Jacobs. "Most of their mothers won't even live to half the president's age."

President Mugabe has just sworn in a new unity government with former rival Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister.

Labels: KGALEMA MOTLANTHE, MORGAN TSVANGIRAI

posted by MrK @ 3:50 AM