July 2001 Africa News Headlines

Monday, July 23, 2001 - Web posted at 12:08:46 GMT

Gaddafi pledges to bankroll Mugabe's re-election bid

HARARE - Libya's Muammar Gaddafi has pledged about N$7,5 million to help President Robert Mugabe's bid for re-election in presidential elections due in April next year.

The donation violates Mugabe's recent law against foreign funding for political parties, apparently to cut off funds to the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change.

The election donation is the second lifeline that Gaddafi has thrown recently to help keep his beleaguered friend in power.

When Gaddafi visited Harare last week, he offered Zimbabwe about N$3 billion in badly need fuel, to be bartered for agricultural produce and other goods.

Sources within the ruling Zanu-PF on Friday confirmed the pledge, reported in the Zimbabwe Independent.

The sources said Gaddafi had also donated 29 Cherokee jeeps to Zanu-PF, which had been distributed among the ruling party's provincial executive committees.

The Mugabe-Gaddafi deal was meant to remain a closely guarded secret because it violates the recently amended Political Parties Finance Act, the sources said.

Zanu-PF's secretary for external affairs Didymus Mutasa has denied having any knowledge of any foreign aid package for Zanu-PF's election campaign, saying the ruling party was not looking for money from outside Zimbabwe. -Star Foreign Service

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