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February 20, 2009

Zimbabwe's New PM Seeks Assistance in South Africa
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=226B6C9:A6F02AD83191E16071B2224432498096B3350E090FE6A6E8&
 
Reuters news agency quotes Morgan Tsvangirai as saying country may need
as much as $5 billion for long-term recovery 
      Morgan Tsvangirai talks during a press conference in Cape Town, S.
Africa, 20 Feb 2009Zimbabwe's new Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is in
South Africa seeking assistance for his country's battered economy. Mr.
Tsvangirai and his finance minister in Zimbabwe's new power-sharing
government, Tendai Biti, met Friday in Cape Town with South African
leaders, including President Kgalema Motlanthe, to discuss a possible $1
billion aid package. The Reuters news agency quotes Mr. Tsvangirai as
saying Zimbabwe may need as much as $5 billion for its long-term
recovery. The nation is suffering staggering inflation, soaring
joblessness and a run-down infrastructure. Despite the economic woes, an
85th birthday bash is being planned Saturday in Zimbabwe for long-time
post-independence leader Robert Mugabe. Regional economic analysts have
been quoted as saying the celebration is out of place. Zimbabwe is also
going through a deadly cholera outbreak. The latest reported figures by
the French news agency, AFP, indicate there have been more than 80,000
cases since the outbreak began last August. More than 3,700 people have
died of the disease. The power-sharing government was finally formed
last week after months of negotiations that followed the opposition
winning legislative elections last year.

 

 Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. 


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