Zimbabwe's Mugabe launches campaign against Western sanctions

[News_Editor]

Zimbabwe's Mugabe launches campaign against Western sanctions

2011-03-03 00:04:03 GMT+7 (ICT)

HARARE (BNO NEWS) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday launched a national campaign of his ZANU-PF party against Western sanctions with a rally in Harare, The Zimbabwean newspaper reported.

Residents and motorists in the capital reported acts of harassment and intimidation by drunk Zanu-PF youth militias for their reluctance to join the rally. The campaign is looking for at least two million signatures before presenting the petition to Western embassies.

The European Union and United States imposed visa restrictions and financial sanctions on Mugabe and his top lieutenants over suspected human rights abuses. The campaign, entitled "Sanctions do kill", insists that the Western embargo is affecting people indiscriminately. It was reported that President Mugabe said at the rally that he would seize Western-based companies in retaliation against the sanctions.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change said their parties would not take part in the campaign, the newspaper reported.

"If it's a government event, it should have been deliberated in Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. It has been peddled as a party thing and therefore cannot be government business," Luke Tamborinyoka, Tsvangirai's spokesperson, said.

The rally, called "million men march," took place amid tight security to control protests planned by civil groups. Armored military vehicles, trucks of riot police and water cannon vehicles have since Saturday been patrolling the streets in Harare's high-density suburbs.

On Monday, Harare businessmen were called to a meeting at the party's provincial headquarters at which they were ordered to support the petition. According to some of the businessmen they were threatened with unspecified action if they failed to sign the petition.

Mugabe and his senior lieutenants have faced visa and financial restrictions since 2002 when the European Union, United States, Australia and New Zealand first imposed the targeted measures in retaliation to alleged human rights abuses and vote rigging by the Zimbabwean leader.

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