Mugabe to raise sanctions issue at Sadc meeting in Angola

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will table the issue of economic sanctions at the Sadc Summit to be held mid-next month in Angola, Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo has said.

Gumbo yesterday said the people's position on sanctions would also be raised at other regional and international forums such as the African Union and the United Nations.

"We have collected more than two million signatures and we are waiting for the President to announce the decision on the results of the campaign. He (President Mugabe) will go with that result to the forthcoming Sadc summit to be held in Angola next month.

"People have spoken strongly against these illegal sanctions and we cannot ignore their voices. It is our understanding that the same message will be sent to those countries that have imposed sanctions on us," he said.

Gumbo said numerous events were also lined up across the country as the anti-sanctions campaign gathers momentum.

The United States, EU, Australia and New Zealand imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe following Government's controversial land reform.

Little headway has been made on the removal of sanctions since the European Union and the United States of America are not willing to lift the sanctions claiming that Zimbabwe had not fully implemented the GPA and that there was no consensus on the sanctions in government.

Zimbabwe has also set a local re-engagement team to Europe that has also failed to make significant impact.