Politburo to endorse company seizures
By Guthrie Munyuki, Deputy News Editor
Tuesday, 08 March 2011 18:52
HARARE – The Zanu PF supreme decision making body, the Politburo, will
convene a special meeting on Wednesday to officially endorse the
anti-sanctions campaign which seeks to seize companies owned by Europeans
and Americans.
President Robert Mugabe is expected to chair the extra-ordinary session
which comes at a time the country is hosting a two-day investment conference
involving prospective European investors.
“We will hold an extra-ordinary session of the Politburo at the party
headquarters to see how best we can respond to his Excellency’ speech at
last week’s rally,” a senior Zanu PF official told the Daily News.
“The session will give members of the Politburo an opportunity to assess and
respond to the measures that the party wants implemented in retaliation to
the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States.”
The extra-ordinary session comes hard on the heels of a massive rally in
Harare last week at which Mugabe launched the campaign against sanctions by
the US and the EU.
The anti- sanctions drive has targeted two million signatures in all the 10
provinces to give the liberation movement the momentum to annex the
foreign-owned firms.
Mugabe was left seething with anger by the EU’s decision to extend an asset
freeze, economic embargo and travel bans against his allies in February.
The EU extended by another 12 months personal sanctions against the Zanu PF
leader and his colleagues.
It lifted restrictions against 35 people, mainly spouses of the party’s
bigwigs in a move which left Mugabe in a rage.
Both the EU and the US said they imposed sanctions to force Zanu PF to
respect the rule of law, human rights and end political violence against
opponents.
“After the escalation of political violence related to the elections in
2002, the EU decided to introduce measures against Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF
party as a means to put pressure on those considered responsible. These
measures have been renewed each year since 2002,” the EU said.
“The establishment of a Government of National Unity in 2009 triggered a
re-engagement process between the Government of Zimbabwe and the EU,” the EU
said on Sunday.