I have just sent the following letter to senior management of the German printing firm Giesecke & Devrient, which prints Zimbabwe’s banknotes. The text is based on that of John Carter Wood, and links have been included for your benefit.

To:

Dr Karsten Ottenberg: karsten.ottenberg@gi-de.com
Dr Peter Zattler: peter.zattler@gi-de.com
Dr Walter Schlebusch: walter.schlebusch@gi-de.com
Dr Peter Mihatsch: peter.mihatsch@gi-de.com
Mr Michael Kuemmerle: michael.kuemmerle@gi-de.com

Dear Drs Ottenberg, Zattler, Schlebusch and Mihatsch, and Mr Kuemmerle

According to a recent online article in Der Spiegel (“Deutsche Firma soll kein Banknotenpapier mehr liefern”, 27 June 2008), federal development minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul has written to your company to request that it cease deliveries of banknotes to Zimbabwe.

The Spiegel article reports a spokesperson for Giesecke & Devrient as saying that the company is “reconsidering” its relationship with Zimbabwe (“Wir müssen die Lage neu bewerten”).

This is encouraging, and I write to ask that your company suspend its contract with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with immediate effect. Few in the international community recognise the legitimacy of the Zimbabwean government, and it would surely damage your company’s interests, and Germany’s reputation, if you were to continue in a lucrative business relationship with a murderous regime.

In an article published on 2 March 2008 in the London-based Sunday Times newspaper (“Planeloads of cash prop up Mugabe”), a Zimbabwean banker is quoted as saying that Giesecke & Devrient is bankrolling the regime: “These notes are being used to buy votes, to purchase foreign exchange to import electricity and vehicles to keep their regime going, and to fund the import of Chinese water cannons and police equipment to keep us intimidated.”

Giesecke & Devrient has previously said that the company deals with central banks rather than governments, and that the transactions are made in accordance with World Bank rules. That would be true if the central bank in Harare were independent of government. But this is clearly not the case.

I understand that Dr Wieczorek-Zeul has the full backing of the federal government for her recent comments about Giesecke & Devrient. While the government has no legal authority to force you to suspend operations in Zimbabwe, it has taken a moral lead which I urge you to follow.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Francis Sedgemore