Zimbabwe Vigil urge Britain to suspend aid to corrupt SADC

Pressure continues to grow on the British government to suspend all direct financial aid to the leadership in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), until it implements a plan that will bring real democratic change to Zimbabwe.

The London based protest group, the Zimbabwe Vigil, has been calling for these measures for several months, "to help focus the minds of SADC leaders." The group's Rose Benton told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that country's who insist on supporting Robert Mugabe should not receive any financial support from Britain, because they act against Britain's own commitments to protection of human rights.

"The whole region will be affected if Mugabe is allowed to continue his reign of bad governance. The whole region will be compromised, if it isn't already," Benton explained, adding: "If Britain wants stability in the region and respect for human rights, then they need to take serious action against the governments that stand in the way."

Benton was speaking just days after rampant corruption within the SADC Secretariat was revealed by the Namibian newspaper, the Windhoek Observer. On the same day the regional bloc's Summit of leaders got underway, the newspaper reported that this corruption is set to be investigated. 

According to inside sources quoted by the newspaper, the audit will examine a wide range of issues surrounding the operations of the top management at the Secretariat. The sources told the Windhoek Observer that if SADC goes ahead and institutes the forensic audit, "it could open up a can of worms."

"We want an investigation because this has become an institution of money laundering, they create illegal contracts, they are always travelling abroad, there is no transparency and accountability, and they lie to the Council," the sources are quoted as saying.

The sources also told the newspaper that corrupt SADC officials "use regional integration as a shield and in this case an investigation will be the only solution." The sources said the implementation of regional projects "has suffered because those heading the Secretariat do not seem to have the plight of SADC citizens at heart, but show more interest in flying first-class and living in luxury hotels."

It was further alleged that there was "rampant misuse of donor and member state funds," saying top officials at the Secretariat "have an addiction to lavish spending." The Zimbabwe Vigil's Benton said such allegations of corruption do not come as a surprise, adding that these reports alone should force the UK and Europe to at least consider some kind of funding cut.

"We believe that Britain and the European Union can be much tougher on the countries and institutions that they give aid to. They should be insisting that human rights be a top priority for any country they give aid to," Benton said.