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NewsDay

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Britain is a friend of Zimbabwe — envoy

News
A senior British Embassy official, Tim Cole, on Monday said his country’s investment interests in Zimbabwe were driven by the desire to create employment and eradicate poverty. In a veiled attack on President Robert Mugabe’s claims that British and foreign investors were looting the country’s resources, Cole said: “Investment doesn’t mean stealing the country’s resources.” […]

A senior British Embassy official, Tim Cole, on Monday said his country’s investment interests in Zimbabwe were driven by the desire to create employment and eradicate poverty.

In a veiled attack on President Robert Mugabe’s claims that British and foreign investors were looting the country’s resources, Cole said: “Investment doesn’t mean stealing the country’s resources.”

Cole is British deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe. “What investment means is, jobs for people, work for people, more income, money in people’s pockets and food on people’s tables,” he said while addressing delegates before handing over computers and printers to the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in Harare on Monday.

The embassy donated 56 computers, 14 printers and three scanners to the mathematics department at the university.

He said the programme was one of the many projects supported by his country.

“Britain is a friend of Zimbabwe and wants Zimbabwe to prosper, that’s why they embark on so many projects in Zimbabwe, especially with the education system,” said Cole.

In 2009 the embassy donated $12 000, three computers and a server to the institution. In a speech read on his behalf, UZ vice-chancellor Professor Levy Nyagura said:

“This (donation) is critical at this time as the department seeks to restore its contribution to its former very high levels of achievement and to attract back to Zimbabwe the many graduates it has produced who are now providing excellent services to universities beyond our borders.

“The department and university are very grateful for the timely intervention of the British Embassy which has allowed it to continue producing good quality graduates in the interest of maintaining and improving the level of mathematical skills available to Zimbabwe.”