Story number 3 for 20 Nov 2001

(Zimbabwe)–Zimbabwe’s President says it will bar non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from distributing food aid to alleviate growing hunger in parts of the country. The issue is causing a growing concern for agencies in the area, including African Enterprise. Malcolm Graham explains what he believes is behind the president’s decision. “I think he’s unhappy with foreign agencies telling him how he should run his country. This may be a sense of thing that those who come in at the good will of that government are actually acting against him, whereas they should be supporting him.” Graham says the decision has had an adverse impact on the economy. That, in turn, negatively affects their ability to continue their work. “What we are doing is evangelistic work in partnership with churches in Zimbabwe. And that is going to be curtailed somewhat because of the inability of us to fund the high cost of running an office there.”