- Zimbabwe's opposition has condemned a government decision
to order fighter aircraft from China and other military equipment worth
an estimated $200m. The defence ministry confirmed it was buying defence
equipment from China.
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- Opposition defence spokesman Giles Mutsekwa said 12 fighter
jets and 100 military vehicles were being bought.
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- Mr Mutsekwa suggested that the move was intended to intimidate
Zimbabweans ahead of parliamentary elections due to be held in March next
year.
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- Tendering
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- Defence Ministry Secretary Trust Maphosa reportedly revealed
the purchase during a quarterly review of the defence ministry budget in
parliament.
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- Under questioning he also admitted tendering procedures
had been breached.
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- He blamed this on security reasons and on an arms embargo
slapped on Zimbabwe by the European Union and the United States which he
said was making it difficult to find spare parts for the current fleet.
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- Mr Mutsekwa said he was deeply concerned that parliament
had not been informed.
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- "We believe this is a kind of intimidatory tactic
because we are going towards very crucial elections next year," he
said.
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- "The idea is that whatever the public does, there
is a possibility of it being subverted by the military," he told AFP
news agency.
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- Zimbabwe is suffering a major economic crisis, with inflation
at more than 400%, unemployment at about 70% and millions of people surviving
on foreign food aid - blamed by critics on a controversial land reform
programme.
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- © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3804629.stm
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