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Home Tech Zimbabwe not left behind on Masiyiwa’s pan-Africa initiative to get COVID-19 supplies to Africa
Tech
June 20, 2020

Zimbabwe not left behind on Masiyiwa’s pan-Africa initiative to get COVID-19 supplies to Africa

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THE African Union’s Special Envoy in charge of Coordinating the Africa Private Sector Initiative for the Procurement of Personal Protective Equipment and other Essential Supplies, businessman Strive Masiyiwa, has said Zimbabwe has not been left behind his initiative to get COVID-19 supplies to African countries.

Masiyiwa writes:
#Update on ASMP Funding!
As you heard Dr Vera Songwe of UNECA say, many African countries have now received money from what is known as “Debt Standstill”, whilst others have had “Emergency Relief” extended to them by multilateral Financial Institutions.
The total amount released to date is now in excess of $33 billion.
Getting this money is the work of my fellow Envoys who include Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr Donald Kaberuka, Mr Trevor Manuel, Mr Tidjane Thiam. We work together every day.
They have done a fantastic job and are working to get that money to reach $100 billion so that it can also reach small businesses. I’m confident they will succeed because these guys are world class smart!
As Dr Songwe revealed at the Press Conference, I have been pressing that countries use 15% of this money to buy medical supplies and fix hospitals (i.e., $4,5 billion). So this explains why I’m comfortable that they can actually buy the supplies they need.
#Zimbabwe and Sudan:
These two countries are under sanctions and cannot access international facilities.
Global Fund and GAVI (the vaccine alliance) have so far availed over $50 million to Zimbabwe.
In addition Zimbabwe has received over $200 millio from AfriEximbank. The good news is that this week Zimbabwe health officials held meetings with AMSP and AfriEximbank officials. They were informed that they could buy all the supplies they need from the platform and AfriEximbank will pay. We immediately received their lists. Next week I will be talking to Sudan.
We will not leave any country behind, that does not want to be left behind. Our mission is to the people and not to governments, but we have to work with the government that is there.”