Pitt-Jolie donations in the bag

THE Namibian Red Cross Society has shot down claims that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt may have reneged on their promise to assist two hospitals when they visited Namibia last year.

The allegations were reported in a weekly newspaper after some officials claimed that, eight months after the celebrity couple had left the country, their promises had not materialised. In fact, the Hollywood couple had long arranged for the transfer of funds to back their promises.The money has already been transferred to the Red Cross.Red Cross Acting Secretary General Shannon Shroeder said in a statement that the allegations were not true, and that international monetary and tax regulations had been responsible for holding up the promised assistance.One of the main donations is a sum of N$2 million donated by the couple for the purchase of new equipment to upgrade the maternity sections of the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund State hospitals.”The Namibia Red Cross signed an agreement with the American Red Cross (acting on behalf of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation) for a transfer of funds between the two National Societies.The Namibia Red Cross Society then received money amounting to the total for all equipment promised to both hospitals in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay,” Schroeder said.”The equipment has been ordered and we were advised that the normal lead time would be three months.All suppliers involved assured the NRCS that the targeted delivery date in February-March 2007 is still within reach,” she added.She further expressed gratitude on behalf of the Namibian Red Cross Society to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, “who dedicated time, energy and resources towards the lives of Namibia’s most valued and vulnerable”.In fact, the Hollywood couple had long arranged for the transfer of funds to back their promises. The money has already been transferred to the Red Cross.Red Cross Acting Secretary General Shannon Shroeder said in a statement that the allegations were not true, and that international monetary and tax regulations had been responsible for holding up the promised assistance.One of the main donations is a sum of N$2 million donated by the couple for the purchase of new equipment to upgrade the maternity sections of the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund State hospitals.”The Namibia Red Cross signed an agreement with the American Red Cross (acting on behalf of the Jolie-Pitt Foundation) for a transfer of funds between the two National Societies.The Namibia Red Cross Society then received money amounting to the total for all equipment promised to both hospitals in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay,” Schroeder said.”The equipment has been ordered and we were advised that the normal lead time would be three months.All suppliers involved assured the NRCS that the targeted delivery date in February-March 2007 is still within reach,” she added.She further expressed gratitude on behalf of the Namibian Red Cross Society to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, “who dedicated time, energy and resources towards the lives of Namibia’s most valued and vulnerable”.