Zimbabwe: HIV/Aids Activists Blast Gono

The outraged activists said the central bank's conduct was "unforgivable" and "criminal" and could put the lives of many HIV-positive Zimbabweans in danger.

The concerns were echoed by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights who urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to institute an urgent public inquiry into the matter, as well as a transparent audit of the activities of the RBZ, "particularly the use of donor funds on a wide scale for unknown projects".

The RBZ was forced to repay the money last week after the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria threatened to withhold funding for life-saving treatment over the missing money.

Bernard Nyathi, president of the Zimbabwe HIV/Aids Activists Union, said the Global Fund should never allow the government to handle aid money again.

Nyathi said the fund should not deny suffering Zimbabweans funding in Round 8 because of the "corrupt tendencies" of government.

The final decision on Zimbabwe's application will be made today at a board meeting in New Delhi, India, that began on Friday where the fund is set to grant up to US$3 billion in new funding to help fight the diseases, according to a statement released by the fund's executive director Michel Kazatchkine on Thursday.

Kazatchkine warned that Global Fund would be "extremely firm" after the allegations of misuse of funds by the RBZ.

"At this time our problem is to recover those dollars," Kazatchkine was quoted by agencies as having said. "We will not sign any new grants unless that money is fully recovered."

"We are not happy about the RBZ's conduct at all," Nyathi fumed. "It is unforgivable because as a result of this damaged reputation with one of the country's few remaining donors, the welfare of many HIV-positive Zimbabweans is seriously threatened because the large chunk of this money was meant for us."

"We have many of our members who are failing to access life-saving treatment, people being turned away from hospitals and people dying of hunger and taking ARVs on empty stomachs and you have got to ask: So where was this money diverted to?"

HIV/Aids activist Sebastian Chinhaire, who is also a member of the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV/Aids, said the government and RBZ had sentenced many people to an "early death" by tampering with the money.

"Our reputation with the donor community has been ruined and I believe diverting aid money the way government did is criminal," he said. "They have closed one of the few doors that people living with HIV/Aids were left with and we are as good as dead now."

"We urge the Global Fund and many other donors to continue assisting Zimbabwe and not punish us because of a few heartless individuals.

"We are counting heavily on the Global Fund money and it would be a huge injustice to the people of Zimbabwe if we are denied these funds."

At least 321 000 out of the 1,8 million people living with HIV/Aids are in urgent need of Antiretroviral drugs but as long as donors shun Zimbabwe, accessing this life-prolonging medication will remain a pipe dream for many.

The RBZ's spending, especially in the run up to the June 27 presidential election run-off raised a lot of eyebrows as the central bank expanded its involvement in quasi-fiscal activities.

Ignoring the country's huge needs in the health sector and the welfare of people living with HIV/Aids, the Reserve Bank bought judges new cars, plasma-screen televisions sets, satellite dishes and many other luxuries.

In a letter Kazatchkine wrote to the donor community recently, the organisation said it will not approve any of Zimbabwe's future grants until it is assured its funds are "safe".

Kazatchkine said last year the RBZ gave a directive to all commercial banks to "lodge" their foreign currency with it.

After this directive about US$12,3 million from the Global Fund grants in principal recipients' commercial accounts was transferred from the commercial banks to the RBZ.

Zimbabwe: HIV/Aids Activists Blast Gono

AIDS/HIV