1.  We have reviewed with concern the transcripts of the Foreign Affairs Committee evidence sessions on Zimbabwe, which took place on 21 January 2003 and 25 March 2003. We would like to challenge statements made in both sessions about the politicisation of food aid in Zimbabwe and the suggestion that Save the Children's work is compromised in this regard.

  2.  Georgina Godwin, a journalist with Radio SW Africa, gave evidence to the Committee on 21 January. Paragraph 73 of the record reflects her comment that, "It is an open secret in Harare that on the Save the Children trucks you see people in ZANU-PF youth militia uniform"[4]. This statement appeared to have been picked up by MP Mr Eric IlIsley during the 25 March session, when he questioned Baroness Amos on "allegations which have been made to this Committee that some of the food aid programmes are being taken over by ZANU-PF, in particular, Save the Children and the actual World Food Programme itself" (paragraph 151[5]).

  3.  The statement by Ms Godwin needs to be challenged in the strongest terms. There is no substance whatsoever to the allegations made about youth militias. Save the Children UK has a clear policy, enshrined in written agreements with the Government of Zimbabwe, that we would countenance no political interference in our operations. We run a highly transparent operation, our work being open to regular inspection by donors and other interested parties. The journalist concerned, who has carried out interviews with our Zimbabwe programme staff on a number of occasions, made no effort to confirm the substance of what she claimed to have heard.

  4.  Given our network of contacts across the political spectrum, and the intense scrutiny we are under by the media, donors, Government and opposition, it is remarkable that a claim can be made that "it is an open secret in Harare" that we drive around with youth militia in our trucks. Not a single party has raised this as an issue with us, despite the fact that the media is in regular contact with us about our activities. Nor has it surfaced at any of the frequent UN, NGO and government co-ordination fora that we attend. FEWSNET, a network of local NGOs and civic rights organisations in Zimbabwe who have been monitoring food deliveries on a monthly basis since last year, have not mentioned this in any of their reports. The director of FEWSNET also keeps in touch with us, and has never mentioned this as an observation of any of her monitoring team. The statement, in our view, is completely inaccurate and there is no evidence given to back it up.

  5.  Save the Children UK is interested and available to be involved in future evidence sessions, and feel that input from NGOs would contribute to the range of information available to Committee members.

Regional Director

Southern Africa Region

Save the Children

2 April 2003

5   Ev 25, Q151. Back