United States to deport Zanu PF officials' children

United States to deport Zanu PF officials' children

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By Staff Reporter

THE United States has announced new sanctions against Zimbabwe, the first it has imposed since 2005, in response to what Washington says is an escalation in the use of violence in the country.

The moves, which places travel bans on 38 Zimbabwean nationals including state security officials and Zanu PF officials' family members studying in the US. Additional financial sanctions, implemented by the US Treasury, will follow.

"Given Mugabe's escalated use of violence, the United States will be imposing additional sanctions against the worst perpetrators of the regime's brutality," said US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer.

She said the aim was to turn up the pressure on Mugabe and if the violence by his "tyrannical regime" did not subside, Washington would look at even more punitive measures.

"Mugabe's tyranny needs to end," Frazer said in a speech to the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The sanctions are also intended to bolster the stance of Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, who is boycotting a European Union-Africa summit in Lisbon this month because of the attendance of President Robert Mugabe.

"The Mugabe regime has acted to systematically destroy all groups opposing its continued oppressive rule, including opposition political parties, civil society, students, private business people and other groups," Frazer said.

"If the violence fails to cease, we will be expanding our sanctions further.”

According to Frazer, more than 6000 instances of human rights abuses had been reported by non-governmental organisations since January.

Mugabe, 83, is accused of widespread human rights violations and of cracking down hard on the country's opposition. He has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980.

Included in the three dozen facing orders banning them from travelling to the United States will be nine state security officials who Washington says were involved in rights abuses and "anti-democratic" activities in recent months.

At least five Zimbabweans studying in the United States - adult children of Zimbabwean government officials implicated in similar "anti-democratic" activities - will have their US student visas revoked and be forced to leave.

She said it was "intolerable" that those closest to Mugabe were enjoying the privilege of sending their children to the US for an education, when they had destroyed the educational system in their own country.

Two companies that are owned or controlled by "specially designated" individuals in Zimbabwe will also be subject to sanctions, making it illegal for US firms to do business with them. Frazer did not name the companies.

Once viewed as southern Africa's bread basket, Zimbabwe's economy is now in ruins and is rated by the World Bank as the fastest shrinking economy outside a war zone.

The country has the world's highest inflation rate, chronic shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency as well as soaring poverty and unemployment.

Mugabe has blamed the economic crisis on sabotage by political opponents. He has strongly criticised US policies toward his country and also lashed out at former colonial ruler Britain.

The last round of US measures against Zimbabwe, two years ago, extended the range of sanctions to about 130 people with ties to the government.

Australia has already moved to deport the children of government officials studying in that country.

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