EU sanctions aimed at giving land back to whites: Zanu-PF

The extended European Union sanctions against Zimbabwe are all about giving farmland back to the whites, says Rugare Gumbo, spokesperson for Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party. Mugabe's party accuses the opposition of colluding with the West to impose sanctions on its members, which were extended yesterday with another year. Arms embargoThe sanctions, in place since 2004, are mainly targeted against high officials and include an arms embargo.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the EU noted significant progress in addressing Zimbabwe's economic crisis and in delivery of basic social services. "However, economic and social developments have not been matched by equivalent progress on the political front," she said in a statement.
35 names 'freed'Ashton said further reforms were essential in terms of respect for rule of law, human rights and democracy to create an environment conducive to the holding of credible elections. Her statement expressed "deep concerns at the upsurge in political violence seen in recent weeks". Nonetheless, the EU has removed 35 names from the travel-ban and asset-freeze list. Restrictions remain on 163 people and 31 businesses linked to rights abuses, undermining democracy or abuse of the rule of law. Battle over landBut Mugabe's party says the continued existence of the embargo is aimed at forcing the reversal of vast tracts of farmland seized violently over the past decade from white Zimbabweans of European descent. "Allegations of human rights violations are merely peripheral issues," says party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, "Their real problem is the land issue. We are saying the land will not be returned to the whites. Finish!" Broken promisesGumbo accused Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of not following through on its pledges to join the anti sanctions chorus saying this will strain relations between the parties. But the MDC denies a hand in the continued existence of the sanctions adding that Zimbabwe has not done enough on the human rights front to warrant the lifting of the embargo. "Zimbabwe has not done a lot in ensuring that human rights are respected within the country," says Public service minister and MDC secretary for foreign affairs Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro. "Above all, there is a lot that Zanu PF as a partner in the inclusive government should be doing to correct the situation."
Zanu-PF lootingLast week, the United States condemned a recent spate of violence in Zimbabwe and blamed President Robert Mugabe's party for the attacks, which are heightening tensions ahead of possible elections this year.
There has been a spate of clashes between Mugabe's Zanu-PF and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC, which has left a dozen people injured in the past two weeks, with a ZANU-PF mob looting shops in Harare. MDC members have warned unity government partner and rival Mugabe to drop his Zanu-PF party's plans for an early election, saying the poll could lead to a bloodbath. Forced coalitionMugabe, 87 later this month, and Tsvangirai were forced into a coalition government two years ago after a disputed poll in 2008 which led to mass violence, a flood of refugees into South Africa and a deeper economic crisis in the resource-rich state.