HARARE – The South African government has been accused of funding “rogue states”, including donations to President Robert Mugabe at a time the Zimbabwean strongman was waging a war against his political opponents. 

A report presented to the South African Parliament by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) last week showed that Pretoria gave a total of R600 million (about US$82.7 million) to the Zimbabwean government under the auspices of its African Renaissance Fund (ARF) in the course of the last three years.

According to the report presented by Nepad’s international relations and cooperation director Harvey, only half of the money dolled out to Mugabe was given after the formation of Harare’s coalition government. The rest was given between 2007 and 2008 at a time when Mugabe’s Zanu (PF) party was waging a war of attrition against the opposition. South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance said last week it was “dismayed” by the government’s actions, particularly given that there was no evidence that Pretoria did not follow up on the use of the funds.

"Parliament has seen no evidence that any of this money was spent on those programmes to which it had been  designated," said DA’s shadow foreign minister Kenneth Mubu. The purpose of the fund and its stated guiding principles were described to include the promotion of democracy and good governance, socio-economic development and integration, and the prevention and resolution of conflict.

The report raises fears that South Africa may have bankrolled the activities of Zanu (PF) militias who were behind a violence campaign that left more than 500 opposition supporters dead during disputed June 2008 presidential elections. The South African government was also accused of funding the activities of Guinea’s military junta that came to power through a coup in 2008.

By The Zimbabwean