South African church food aid still delayed

By Violet Gonda and Tererai Karimakwenda
10 August 2005

South African authorities are frantically getting certificates to show that the food aid being sent to Zimbabwe for victims of Operation Murambatsvina is not genetically modified. The food is still held up in Johannesburg after the Harare authorities demanded these permits before allowing in the aid.

The President of the Methodist Church in Southern Africa, Bishop Ivan Abrahams, said the humanitarian package may possibly leave Wednesday for Zimbabwe. 3 trucks with 37 tonnes of food and 6000 blankets, which was organised by the South African Council of Churches, will be transported to church groups to be distributed to Zimbabweans displaced during the controversial government clean-up operation.

The Bishop said he was hopeful that there was nothing sinister in the delay, saying the SA authorities were working on the certificates being demanded by the Zimbabwean government.

Bishop Abrahams is one of the SA church leaders who met President Mbeki Tuesday night to discuss their neighbour. He said both groups agreed to continue the humanitarian support for Zimbabwe. Mbeki also briefed the clerics on the proposed loan which Bishop Abraham said gave them greater understanding.

Observers have criticized sections of the South African churches saying they are too closely dictated to by their government, in terms of what should happen on Zimbabwe. The President of the Methodist Church brushed this aside saying Zimbabwe runs the risk of being expelled from the International Monetary Fund and if expelled this would have direct consequences not only to the people of Zimbabwe but neighbouring countries as well.

But Tendai Biti, the MDC party secretary on economics and finance, believes the loan would not help revive Zimbabwe's economy. Biti said the problem is the money would only go to paying arrears to the IMF and others. He also said the Mugabe regime is illegitimate and fresh elections supervised by the international community are necessary. According to Biti, Zimbabwe cannot keep staggering from one small spot of relief to another.

Mbeki's reasoning, he said, is dishonest and his support of Mugabe is typical of the post-colonial nationalist mindset.

Meanwhile SABC reported that the South African presidency has said that it would reveal details of the proposed loan to Zimbabwe later this month.
Murphy Morobe, the head of communications at the presidency, has downplayed reports of a snub by Robert Mugabe by refusing some conditions of the loan. He said: "Zimbabweans need to be the masters of their own fate. South Africa's role is that of facilitator."