At a time when Bill Gates has criticised the developed nations of not fulfilling their aid promises to the developing nations, US has pldged to give a $73 million aid to Zimbabwe as announced by President Obama. This was after meeting with Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the White House. President Obama (right) praised Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at the White House on Friday.

“I obviously have extraordinary admiration for the courage and tenacity that the prime minister has shown in navigating through some very difficult political times in Zimbabwe,” Obama said.

“There was a time when Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of Africa, and [it] continues to have enormous potential. It has gone through a very dark and difficult time politically.”

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe “has not acted oftentimes in the best interest of the Zimbabwean people and has been resistant to the democratic changes that need to take place,” Obama said. “We now have a power-sharing agreement that shows promise, and we want to do everything we can to encourage the kinds of improvement not only on human rights and rule of law, freedom of the press and democracy that is so necessary, but also on the economic front.”