US travel ban will hit ministers' families

US travel ban will hit ministers' families

• Switzerland bans Zimbabwe officials

• US announces assets freeze on Mugabe's men

• New Zealand bars Mugabe banker

• Belgium in visa snub for Zimbabwe minister

• Gono targeted in EU sanctions review

• Gono escapes as EU travel ban list extended

• Australia tightens Mugabe travel sanctions

• Mugabe invited Prince Charles to Harare!

• Prince Charles in Mugabe handshake row

• Foes reunited at Pope funeral

• Pope would have wanted Mugabe at funeral

• The 'unclean' among the 'clean' at the Vatican

• Mugabe in Vatican for Pope's funeral

• EU renews targeted sanctions against Mugabe

• Full text of EU sanctions renewal agreement

• Bid to bar Mugabe envoy from EU-ACP meet

• Zanu PF MPs' UK trip causes storm

• Chigwedere grumbles over Olympics ban

• Zimbabwe Minister barred from Olympics

• EU extends targeted sanctions

• Mudede, Mahoso on EU sanctions list

• Leave us alone - Mugabe

• EU to extend sanctions on Mugabe

• Gono met by protesters in SA

• Rough ride for Mugabe's banker in UK

• Mugabe banker's UK trip sparks protests

• Gono beats sanctions, allowed into UK

• Gono to visit UK to raise funds

By Sue Pleming

THE United States plans to slap tough travel sanctions on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, members of his government and their extended families, a senior U.S. official said at the weekend.

The move is aimed at further isolating Mugabe and is a sign of growing U.S. impatience with Zimbabwe, whose relations with the West are at an all-time low because of human rights abuses.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer said the U.S. Treasury was putting the final touches to an order that would bar Mugabe, his senior officials and their families from visiting the United States.

Travel visas for study purposes would also be affected.

"We are continuing to try to call attention to the human rights abuses, that the last election was not fair and that there was not a level playing field there," Frazer, a former U.S. ambassador to South Africa, said on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Mugabe has been at the gathering, where he spoke earlier this week.
Last month, Washington froze the U.S. assets of 26 Zimbabwean farms and businesses it said were controlled by key members of Mugabe's government, accusing them of undercutting democracy.

While taking punitive action that targeted Mugabe and his cabinet, U.S. officials said Washington would continue to provide food aid and other humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe, which is suffering its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain 25 years ago.

The latest crisis was triggered by government seizures of white-owned farms for resettlement of landless blacks and allegations of vote rigging in the last election.

"Despite what may be taking place within the political context of that government, President Bush is not going to allow people to starve or to face those kinds of abuses," said Cindy Courville, special assistant to President George W. Bush on African affairs.

Last month, the United States sent 73,500 tons of food aid to southern Africa with much of that expected to go to Zimbabwe, where about half of the rural population is estimated to need emergency help.

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be meeting South African President Thabo Mbeki and Frazer said Zimbabwe would be a topic during their talks.

Mbeki has in the past been accused of being too supportive of Mugabe and not taking strong enough action against South Africa's neighbour - Reuters
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