A budgetary support loan of around R827-million sought by Zimbabwe from the South African government should not be granted without strict conditions, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.
DA international relations spokesman Ian Davidson said in a statement that he had written to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan asking that any funding to Zimbabwe have conditions aimed at helping the country reach peaceful political transition.
"In particular, we cannot provide funding to Zimbabwe if [an] agreement is not reached on a new... constitution, or if an election before the new constitution has been finalised and agreed by all relevant parties," Davidson said.
The DA was concerned that the money would be used for political campaigning and to fund Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's militia, rather than for the benefit of the Zimbabwean public.
"We will also recommend that the funding is given on a ring-fenced basis for specific projects and not as a blank cheque for Mugabe."
A DA councillor has been suspended for circulating an "offensive" email about Zuma and the ANC.
"He betrayed us by rubber-stamping the 1913 Land Act through the adoption of the Freedom Charter."
A senior Gauteng police officer has been found dead in an open field with his hands and feet bound.
