REWIND: Tsvangirai pleads for sanctions to be imposed on his country

This article was originally published by the UK Telegraph on 14 January 2002. We are looking for the clip with President Tsvangirai pleading for sanctions. Anyone with the video clip can e-mail us.

MORGAN TSVANGIRAI, leader of the Zimbabwean opposition, pleaded yesterday for sanctions to be imposed on his country before the presidential election in March.

His call came as police arrested 22 members of his party, the Movement for Democratic Change, in Kwe Kwe, following violent clashes with supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF party who had burned down an MDC office.

Mr Tsvangirai said that after two years of "softly-softly" diplomacy by Zimbabwe's neighbours, which had failed to stop President Mugabe's abuse of the rule of law, it was time for genuine sanctions.

Targeted measures should be imposed immediately to freeze money and assets held overseas by Mr Mugabe and his associates, while South Africa should impose a fuel, transport and electricity blockade.

Mr Tsvangirai told BBC Television: "We are aware that smart sanctions, if they are immediately implemented will have the personal effect on the leadership of Zanu-PF."

He encouraged South Africa, the regional superpower, to use its economic muscle against the Mugabe regime.

"I think SA will have to go it alone and do something effective on the ground," he said. "The threat to undermine the elections by the military and the president himself should send shockwaves to South Africa.

"And South Africa should say, 'OK, under those circumstances we are going to cut fuel, we are going to cut transport links'."

Tony Blair telephoned South Africa's President Mbeki on Saturday night to discuss the deepening political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

A spokesman for Mr Blair said: "Both leaders take it seriously. It is clearly deteriorating in a way giving everyone cause for concern."

Mr Tsvangerai's remarks won the backing of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance. Its leader, Tony Leon, said South Africa should withdraw its representatives at the conference of SADC, the grouping of southern African states, to protest at the body's powerlessness on Zimbabwe.

Mr Tsvangirai said that SADC, which meets today in Malawi, was too incoherent and divided to have any genuine effect on the Zimbabwean situation.

The summit was given a circus air as Mr Mugabe arrived claiming "God is on our side" before launching a personal attack on Mr Blair, accusing him of being a liar.

Meanwhile Mr Mugabe was attacked by the veteran anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The South African Nobel Prize winner said: "Mugabe seems to have gone bonkers in a big way.

"It is very dangerous when you subvert the rule of law in your country, when you don't even respect the judgments of your judges.

"It is a great sadness what has happened to President Mugabe. He was one of Africa's best leaders, a bright spark, a debonair, well-spoken and well-read person."

The Commercial Farmers' Union said that another 23 white farmers had been forced off their land since Jan 1 in another wave of land seizures by mobs loyal to Mr Mugabe.