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Source: Reuters -
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South African ruling party leader Jacob Zuma on Friday
criticised Western powers for holding back aid to Zimbabwe while
President Robert Mugabe was still in power.
"This is very unfair to the Zimbabwean people. Because here is
Mugabe, he is a factor. He is there. He leads a party that has been
in government for over 20 years," Zuma said in an interview.
Zuma said the creation of a unity government where Mugabe and
opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai share power had begun
Zimbabwe's stabilisation, but it was only a starting
point.
"You cannot say it has stabilised but it has entered a phase of
stabilisation politically," Zuma said, adding that the unity
government agreement, pushed by southern African leaders, "was the
only option. There was nothing else".
Western powers, who accuse Mugabe of ruining the country and
violating human rights, are reluctant to begin pouring in aid to
repair the devastated economy while the veteran leader remains as
head of state.
In the highest-level African criticism of this stance, Zuma said it
was wrong to hold back aid.
"When there was an election, it is not as if not a single human
being voted for Mugabe in Zimbabwe. He had a very big percentage
himself. He has a sizeable support."
Western donors have made clear they will only provide a large aid
package to help rebuild the country once economic reforms are in
place.
Much will depend on whether Mugabe and Tsvangirai can work together
after years of animosity.
Any new power struggle that divides the new government could undermine efforts to win the confidence of donors and foreign investors.
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