GABORONE: Botswana's president on Friday dismissed a report that the country had offered Zimbabwe a US$600 million diamond-backed loan and said his government had only offered to guarantee a US$100 million private credit line for Botswana companies to invest in their troubled neighbour.
"We are not giving them a single loan. The only thing we gave them yesterday were medical supplies made in Botswana and supplementary feeding worth 2.1 million pula." "What we have demanded, which we are waiting for, is a letter of guarantee from the Zimbabweans to counter our own guarantee," he said.Masisi also said Botswana, which is the largest producer of diamonds by value, would help Zimbabwe with its diamond trade because"it would be useful and strategic for Botswana" as it aims to become a global centre of diamond trading.