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| Zimbabwe recovery costs 'massive' | Zimbabwe recovery costs 'massive' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said the cost of rebuilding his country's economy could run as high as $5bn (£3.5bn). | Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said the cost of rebuilding his country's economy could run as high as $5bn (£3.5bn). |
| Mr Tsvangirai was speaking after meeting officials in neighbouring South Africa to discuss a recovery plan. | Mr Tsvangirai was speaking after meeting officials in neighbouring South Africa to discuss a recovery plan. |
| Zimbabwe's political deadlock recently ended with a power-sharing deal, but the economy is in a state of collapse. | Zimbabwe's political deadlock recently ended with a power-sharing deal, but the economy is in a state of collapse. |
| Also on Friday, the UN said more than 80,000 people had now been infected by Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak. | Also on Friday, the UN said more than 80,000 people had now been infected by Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak. |
| At least 3,759 people had died from the disease, the World Health Organisation said. | At least 3,759 people had died from the disease, the World Health Organisation said. |
| Mr Tsvangirai was in South Africa with Finance Minister Tendai Biti, where they met South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. | Mr Tsvangirai was in South Africa with Finance Minister Tendai Biti, where they met South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. |
| Both Zimbabwean officials are members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which recently agreed to form a unity government with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF. | |
| Investment needed | |
| The power-sharing deal was agreed after disputed elections and months of talks, during which the economy slid into a deepening crisis. We are going to use a multi-currency approach Morgan Tsvangirai Zimbabwean prime minister Harare diary: 'Motivated workers' | |
| "As for the long-term economic recovery it has not been assessed," Mr Tsvangirai was quoted as saying at a press briefing in Cape Town. | |
| But he added: "I think it would run into billions of dollars, maybe as high as $5bn." | But he added: "I think it would run into billions of dollars, maybe as high as $5bn." |
| Inflation in Zimbabwe - estimated by some economists at 10 sextillion per cent - has left its currency almost worthless. | |
| Mr Biti said earlier this week that soldiers and civil servants would be paid in US dollars. | |
| But on Friday Mr Tsvangirai ruled out adopting the South African rand. | |
| "Our currency is devalued almost to a point of non-use, so we are going to use a multi-currency approach," he said. | |
| "But at the moment there is no talk about the randification [of the currency]. It is a multi-currency facility we are looking at." | |
| He also said foreign direct investment would be "one of the areas of focus" as Zimbabwe began to rebuild. | |
| Zimbabwean central bank governor Gideon Gono said international and regional financiers had offered the country $500 million in credit, but remain cautious over conflicting policy signals, Reuters news agency reported. |