DA calls on Minister Gordhan to urgently clarify terms of Zim loan

Today the Standing Committee on Finance agreed to request Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to appear before it to provide more detail on the R900m loan reportedly extended to Zimbabwe. In addition, I have today submitted a parliamentary question to the minister to clarify the terms of the loan.

If we indeed intend providing this loan to Zimbabwe then Minister Gordhan has a duty to explain to South Africans the motivation for extending such generous financial support. There are three main issues that urgently need to be clarified by the minister:

• the motivation for the loan,
• the terms of repayment, and
• any conditionality attached to it.

We believe that any financial support provided to Zimbabwe should be conditional on the money being spent on specifically defined projects that will improve the prospects for real democracy in Zimbabwe through free and fair elections. Under no circumstances should we tolerate extending a credit line without strict political conditions.

Statement issued by Tim Harris MP, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, April 16 2013

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