Purchase of Chinese jets makes a mockery of UN humanitarian appeal

By Lance Guma
30 August 2006

Hardly a week after the Zimbabwean government announced in parliament they had completed the second phase of a US$240 million purchase of 12 Chinese jets, the United Nations has sent out a US$257 million humanitarian appeal for the country. Defence Secretary Trust Maphosa had told a parliamentary defence portfolio committee hearing that the country had purchased a total of 12 K-8 trainer jets from China. Six of these were supplied in 2005 with the remainder due within two months.

Now in a revised consolidated appeal for 2006/07 sent to the international community, the UN says Zimbabwe needs money, ‘to prevent the further breakdown in essential health and education services and to ensure that the country’s growing number of orphaned and vulnerable children are not forgotten.’ The world body says, ‘the priorities for the next six months and beyond will be to save lives, enhance positive coping mechanisms and livelihoods, mitigate the impact on vulnerable populations, and ensure a comprehensive and co-ordinated humanitarian response from national and international actors.’

The UN appeal admits that seven years of deterioration in the social and economic sector have led to a serious humanitarian crisis. Already US$145 million is reported to have been raised with the UN warning, ‘unless appropriate humanitarian action is taken, the use of negative coping mechanisms (such as sexual transactions) could increase, placing vulnerable persons at further risk, deepening poverty and reducing opportunities for recovery.’ The appeal also points to high levels of unemployment, 3 million people prone to food insecurity, the devastation of HIV/Aids, lack of access to health services, risk of disease, malnutrition and destitution.

Commentators point to skewed Zimbabwe government priorities that reflect a shocking level of insensitivity. Just recently the army announced the purchase of over 127 vehicles for senior officers with another 194 to be purchased in coming months. Mugabe’s regime also recently promised to raise the salaries of soldiers, sending clear signals that preserving the regime in power was more important than the welfare of its people. Fambai Ngirande the communications manager for the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) says the misdirection of scant resources in the country reflected the fact that government never consulted its people.

He pointed out that Zimbabwe’s spending patterns reflected the desires of Mugabe’s regime and not the people. The country was not at war yet defence expenditure was shooting up. Asked whether support from the UN would strengthen Mugabe’s hold on power, Ngirande said NGO’s had an interest in social justice and not regime change; ‘When people are disempowered from accessing basic things like food and health they are effectively disempowered from the broader political agenda.’ He believes if people are freed from bread and butter issues they tend to take part in civic and policy issues.

Critics point out that should the United Nations gives funds directly to the government, there is no guarantee that it will be spent on the basics – like food.