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Mugabe Warns British, U.S. Firms Over Western Sanctions ‘UK, U.S. companies will face “tit-for-tat” action’
HARARE, Aug 25 (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe threatened “tit-for-tat” retaliation against companies from Britain and the United States on Sunday if the Western nations persisted in pressuring his government with sanctions and what he called “harassment”.
Mugabe’s latest verbal broadside against his main Western critics followed their questioning of his re-election in a July 31 vote that his rival Morgan Tsvangirai denounced as a “coup by ballot” which he said involved widespread vote-rigging.
Mugabe, who at 89 is Africa’s oldest leader, has rejected the fraud allegations and was sworn in on Thursday for a new five-year term in the southern African nation that he has ruled since its independence from Britain in 1980.
“They should not continue to harass us, the British and Americans,” he told supporters at the funeral of an air force officer.
“We have not done anything to their companies here, the British have several companies in this country, and we have not imposed any controls, any sanctions against them, but time will come when we will say well, tit-for-tat, you hit me I hit you.”
British companies in Zimbabwe include banking groups Standard Chartered Plc and Barclays Plc. These are already the target of a so-called “indigenisation” policy that requires they cede a majority stake to black Zimbabweans.
The policy has also been applied to foreign mining houses in the mineral-rich country including those owned by South African companies such as Impala Platinum.
The United States has a far more limited corporate presence in Zimbabwe than Britain.
TARGETED SANCTIONS
Mugabe and prominent members of his ZANU-PF party, which won a two-thirds majority in the July 31 election, are the targets of financial and travel sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union. These were applied by Washington and Brussels to punish alleged election-rigging and abuses of power.
The European Union in March eased most sanctions against Zimbabwe after the country’s voters approved a new constitution which paved the way for July’s poll, but kept Mugabe and nine of his closest associates on the list.
It will review relations with Zimbabwe because of its “serious concerns” about the election, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Thursday. Its verdict on the vote will be crucial to a decision on whether it continues to ease sanctions..
Britain said last week Mugabe’s re-election could not be deemed credible without an independent investigation into allegations of voting irregularities.
U.S. officials also said the July 31 election was flawed and Washington had no plans to loosen sanctions until there were signs of change in the country.
In contrast, observers from the regional 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union broadly endorsed the vote as free and peaceful, and called on all parties to accept its results.
Mugabe still enjoys support in Africa for his role in the liberation guerrilla war that helped end white-minority rule in what was formerly Rhodesia, and led to its independence.
He frequently accuses his critics of racism and of wanting to recolonise Zimbabwe. “They think, we the blacks are inferior, they are superior. But in Zimbabwe we will never accept that a white man, merely because he is white is superior, no. We will chase them away,” Mugabe said about Western powers on Sunday.
Posted by
Denkete
August 25, 2013 at 9:45 pm
Hehehe Ba Bob you hit me I hit u back back ka. Reminds me of the song bad boy bad boy what u gonna do when we come for u. Ulakulinina mudala
African fellow
August 25, 2013 at 10:20 pm
I LIKE
Umwina Nswi
August 26, 2013 at 3:42 am
Man Bob. Sometimes one wonders whose interests the western critic are serving. The bodies (AU & SADCC) which monitored the elections certified them as credible but chaps who were not in Zimbabwe are portraying them as fraud. This is nonsense. Just coz their preferred candidate lost then elections are said to be flawed. This should not be accepted by any one who believes in PAN-Africanism. AU must lodge a complaint to the AU and USA for undermining its capability and competence. Let the two give account of why they are disputing the observations by the two reputable institutions. SADC was hard on Mugabe prior to the elections such that at one time Bob even threatened to pull out of the regional body. But SADC boldly convinced Bob to level the political playing field, and at the end of it all SADC monitored the elections professionally & gave their observations from an informed point of view. It’s painful sometimes, but that’s what democracy can pay sometimes especially where majority voters are academically challenged. Viva Bob.
zee
August 26, 2013 at 5:09 am
Uncle Bob is poor arrogant and brainwashed his people
like he is the best there will ever be. he is now beyond uncle to great grand pa/father he needs a dirt nap soon, too much pride when you are poor is foolish and will cause more misery, it’s high time he put his pride and hatred aside for the betterment of the nation
King David
August 26, 2013 at 7:45 am
Bob speaks sense and relevant things, nomba Ukwa complained @ the official opening of UNWTO ” up to now we have not yet eaten”. I felt embarased when watching live on ZNBC via ZBC.
atishani
August 26, 2013 at 9:05 am
kikikiki…. ati live on znbc via zbc are you sure?
Mambala
August 26, 2013 at 8:58 am
Viva King Bob
atishani
August 26, 2013 at 9:03 am
the only living black man in africa….
mike
August 26, 2013 at 9:40 am
Mm…but Mugabe is too old! Awe mwand.
lusambo
August 26, 2013 at 9:56 am
mugabebebe you are big monster and ukwa with a u.bag busy supporting ****** ideas and wrong thinking.
mike
August 26, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Mugabe is THE MAN!!
bauer
August 26, 2013 at 12:27 pm
leave mugabe alone bafikala.he is protecting what belongs them.
KA GELO
August 26, 2013 at 12:52 pm
Selako ba Bob babombe. Bob is the man, I would not mind marrying him.
DORIKA
August 26, 2013 at 12:53 pm
I love arrogant men too.
nigger
August 26, 2013 at 1:20 pm
I like mugabwe, he is my brootheer, tell me if mugabwee has ever killed anybody/ DID HE EVER INVADE ANY COUNTRY?…
Peoples thinking amaze me
August 26, 2013 at 4:45 pm
You people who are supporting Bob should go and live there. That country is now pathetic, This man has ruined the country. You complain about Zed, Zim is worse. Bob is selfish, he is getting richer while the country is getting poorer.
nshilimubemba
August 26, 2013 at 7:00 pm
I wonder who ever owns Africa is it the west Africans should choose who should their friends that is democracy
nshilimubemba
August 26, 2013 at 7:01 pm
I wonder who ever owns Africa is it the west, Africans should choose who should their friends that is democracy
Zim gal
August 26, 2013 at 7:17 pm
I feel pity for my fellow zimbos