South Africa announces that it is “ currently not in a position “ to meet the $1.2 billion loan request sent by its neighbour Zimbabwe. “South Africa doesn’t have the money to provide that kind of assistance”, a spokesperson of the South African ministry of finance said, according to a statement reported by Reuters.

Zimbabwe has turned the page of the year under Mugabe’s presidency and the new regime faces big economic challenges due to the lower value of its currency and dollar scarcity that led to liquidity shortage in the country’s economy.

The tensions worsened recently with the country’s decision to increase the price of fuel that necessitates so much foreign currency. There are also sectors affected by strikes, and clashes with the police that led to many deaths, according to numerous reports focused on the country.