Late last week the United Nations confirmed what had been rumored for the past couple weeks — Zimbabwe has ordered Oxfam and Save the Children to stop distributing food aid in areas that Robert Mugabe’s ruling party believes are hotbeds of opposition support.
In a Mail & Guardian (Johannesberg)
This is political obstruction of desperately needed food aid at a crucial point. If people do not get food now, many will die . . . Government officials confirmed they will not allow those NGOs to distribute food aid for political reasons, because the government views them as loyal to the opposition party. I said that is unacceptable. They are major international organisations with fine reputations for non-partisan activity.
I guess that puts Zimbabwe up to stage 7 in Genocide Watch’s warning of Zimbabwe’s path to politicide.
Source:
Zim Bans Food Aid Charities. Andrew Meldrum, Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg), October 18, 2002.