Brown gives extra £5m for ailing Zimbabwe economy

Morgan Tsvangirai with former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (REUTERS)

Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai used a trip to London yesterday to defend his decision to share power with President Robert Mugabe and to accept an extra £5m in British aid.

But Gordon Brown made it clear that the extra cash – which brings this year's transitional help from the UK to £60m – would be delivered to Zimbabwe via aid agencies and not the Harare administration. Mr Brown said there were "great signs of progress" in Zimbabwe and promised to increase support if the country showed it was on the road to real democratic reform.

"We are prepared to respond when the Zimbabwean government takes action which is in conformity with the long-term ambition," the Prime Minister said. The decision came as Mr Tsvangirai struggles to raise financial help from foreign governments to fund Zimbabwe's ailing economy. The two leaders met at No 10, 25 years after a British and a Zimbabwean prime minister had last stood together.

Mr Tsvangirai later met David Cameron in his House of Commons office, where the Conservative Party leader pledged to take a continued close interest in the country.