ZIMBABWE’S NEW powersharing government faces disaster unless international donors follow through with their pre-agreement promises to assist the coalition financially, finance minister Tendai Biti has said.
The outspoken senior Movement for Democratic Change official told reporters on Thursday that the Southern African country’s treasury needed immediate cash injections if it was going to meet an estimated €40 million a month wage bill for the security forces and civil service.
To try and stabilise the unity government formed on February 13th between President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and the MDC, Mr Biti agreed recently to pay members of the public sector’s essential services in US dollars. This was done to stop the country’s hyper-inflation rendering their wages worthless within days of being paid.
“Our capacity to deliver is linked to economic stability and we need help. It cannot be a chicken and egg situation; there has to be a chicken, or an egg, first,” Mr Biti said on Thursday before adding: “If we fail, the consequences will be dire, such as a military coup or civil unrest.”
While the American and British governments have promised to increase financial aid they first want to see signs of democratic progress.
However, the arrest of MDC official Roy Bennett, a ministerial nominee, on the day new government ministers were sworn in has raised many questions over whether Mr Mugabe and Zanu-PF are genuine about sharing power.
Mr Bennett, the MDC’s nomination for deputy minister for agriculture, was only released on bail last Thursday.
Earlier this week Australia became the first Western country to increase the amount it gives to Zimbabwe when it raised its donation level by €5 million, a move which was welcomed by Mr Biti.
Since last Monday the International Monetary Fund has been meeting with officials from Zim-babwe’s coalition government to assess what it can do to resume relations with a country that owes it $124 million from Mr Mugabe and Zanu-PF’s time in control.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is set to get its first independent daily newspaper since the last one closed five years ago after a media crack-down. Trevor Ncube, publisher of South Africa’s Mail and Guardian, said he decided to launch NewsDay after the compromise powersharing deal was signed by the rival parties. “NewsDay, as an independent and fresh daily, will play a vital role in rebuilding our nation,” he said in statement.