No reforms, no funding, says UK ambassador

British ambassador to Zimbabwe Catriona Laing yesterday said her government will not directly fund President Robert Mugabe's government until it addresses issues like good governance, police brutality and respect of court orders.

Laing said this in response to media reports that the British government was shoring up the Mugabe regime despite its rhetoric. She added that while economic reforms were necessary, they were not sufficient in themselves to normalize relations.

The ambassador also highlighted that the UK since 2010 had continued to support humanitarian causes in Zimbabwe.

Among other responses, the British said they supported 360 000 vulnerable people with cash transfers following the El Niño-induced drought, helped reduce maternal deaths from 960 per 100 000 in 2010 to 651 per 100 000 in 2015 and delivered school improvement grants to over 6 000 schools in 2015.