Southern Africa -- Mbeki 'doesn't know' why region is starving

Independent Online ^ | July 26 2002

[Clive]

President Thabo Mbeki has again avoided criticising the policies of President Robert Mugabe's government over the growing food crisis in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Mbeki said South Africa was considering increasing its donations of food to the United Nations World Food Programme to relieve the regional drought.

The drought is threatening up to 13 million people in southern Africa - five million of them in Zimbabwe where the government's land seizure policies have been blamed for exacerbating shortages.

Asked about the cause of food shortages in the region, Mbeki said: "I don't know. I haven't looked at them specifically from country to country.

"But certainly, to the extent that there would have been disruptions in production in any country - in Zimbabwe - any disruption in production would effect production. But the extent of that I don't know."

In a wide-ranging briefing, Mbeki also announced that new measures were needed to further expand the president's office, brushed aside the controversy surrounding his non-appearance at the congress of the SA Communist Party in Rustenburg and said he disapproved of the decision by Cosatu to hold a protest strike against privatisation on October 1 and 2

[Clive]

-

[jimtorr]

.....in Zimbabwe - any disruption in production would effect production.

Brillian statement, but he still doesn't seem to know why production is disrupted.

Mbeki also announced that new measures were needed to further expand the president's office......

Oh, great. Sounds like Mbeki is going to try to be King.