China gives $950m to Zimbabwe


  1. Sam Banda, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
    China has offered Zimbabwe the biggest credit lines of $950 million set to help the southern African country build its economy. The country's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai who recently was on a European tour to seek for aid, confirmed the credit lines saying it came through its Ministry of Finance.
    Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai seen attending the Independence celebrations today in Harare 18 April 2009 photo Shepherd Tozvireva
    The good news has come at a time as the country is struggling to lift its economy.

    "The government through the minister of finance, secured credit lines of almost $950 million from China," Tsvangirai said on Tuesday.

    China is one of the countries which have taken a strong interest to invest and assist African countries.

    Reports say that Chinese companies have pledged tens of billions of dollars to Africa in loans and investments.

    The African continent has become a destination place for investment by various countries mostly because it is rich in resources.

    The Zimbabwe Prime Minister, who entered into a government of national unity with President Robert Mugabe after months of disagreements, said the country needed to improve if it was to get more aid.

    Tsvangirai has called for well wishers to come forward and assist the once mighty nation of Africa saying it needs close to $ 10 billion to uplift its economy and ease a 90 percent unemployment rate.

    "If we want outside assistance, we must first prove that we are able to fulfill the obligations we have undertaken within the agreement that was brokered by SADC," he said.

    His three week tour he conducted of Europe and United States of America is said to have yielded pledges totaling more than $ 500 million.

    Many Zimbabweans have left the country in search for greener pastures however; Tsvangirai during his tour called on them to return to the country and help rebuild it.

    A Reuters report quoted Tsvangirai as saying that other promises of aid to the southern African country would be fulfilled only when Zimbabwe created a democracy and improved human rights.

    Critics have always said the unity government in the country has not yet worked out adding that Mugabe is still keeping his repressive rule.

    But Mugabe has denied the rights abuse charges against him.

    Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formed a government of national unity with Mugabe’s ZANU-PF in February formed to end a long-running political crisis.

    Apart from experiencing economic problems, Zimbabwe has also suffered setbacks in the health sector with the cholera outbreak which has killed thousands of people.



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