Motlanthe welcomes Zim support
2009-06-24 19:03
Cape Town - International pledges of support for Zimbabwe are to be welcomed, but more can be done, deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe said on Wednesday.
Speaking during debate on the presidency's budget vote in the National Assembly, Motlanthe said he hoped the current International Monetary Fund fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe would bring positive results.
"South Africa will continue to support an inclusive government in Zimbabwe and render whatever assistance is requested by the collective Zimbabwean leadership in order to deal with unresolved matters.
Strengthening support
"In this context, we note and welcome the pledge by various governments across the world to increase their assistance to Zimbabwe. In concert with the leadership of Zimbabwe, we are convinced that more can be done to strengthen this support.
"We also hope that the visit of the IMF fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe will result in positive engagement in the future," he said.
The United Kingdom this week pledged £60m in aid for Zimbabwe, which is seeking international funds to restart its stricken economy.
Budget over-runs for 2010
Motlanthe also announced South Africa had made considerable progress towards its goal of successfully hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
However, budget over-runs by host cities remained a concern.
"We need to take into account the difficulties identified [by government's inter-ministerial committee] with a view to resolving them as soon as possible.
"This includes arresting budget over-runs by host cities, especially in the current economic environment, so as to ensure our expenditure is within budget.
"We are, however, confident that the economic benefits flowing from the 2010 Fifa World Cup competition will soften some of the cutting effects of this economic crisis," he said.
- SAPA