UK Minister calls for Zim government’s isolation over rights abuses

By Violet Gonda
06 December

Geoff Hoon, the UK ’s Europe Minister, has called for tougher sanctions and the continued isolation of the Mugabe regime as a result of the government’s human rights abuses. The Minister was responding to questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday on the effectiveness of current targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe ’s ruling elite. Hoon said; “T here will be further discussion of the EU’s targeted measures against Zimbabwe early next year, before their expiry in February. We believe that the measures, which target the regime members and not ordinary Zimbabweans, are effective and should be continued.”

The Minister had received a barrage of questions from legislators like Conservative MP Henry Bellingham who asked him if he was aware of the total collapse of Zimbabwe ’s infrastructure and the rampant hyperinflation? He asked; “Is he also aware of the horrific human rights abuses, including the recent police attacks on the trade union vice-president Lucia Matibenga, which resulted in a broken arm? Surely the time has come for our ( UK ) Government and Europe to tighten smart sanctions and travel bans, which do not affect Zimbabwe ’s hard-pressed citizens, but are aimed at Mugabe and his evil henchmen?”

The official said there is no excuse for the attacks on ordinary Zimbabweans and that his government also condemned the most recent assaults on the WOZA women. Riot police used brutal force to break up a peaceful demonstration organised by the pressure group in Bulawayo recently. Hoon said; “The beating of women and children only two months after the abuse of the trade union leadership is further evidence of Zimbabwe ’s terrible human rights record, which Robert Mugabe tries to argue is a figment of the west’s imagination.”

Pressure is also mounting on regional bodies to act on the Zimbabwe government. A labour MP Brian Jenkins pointing out that more effort is needed in talking to Zimbabwe ’s neighbours, whose actions might have more effect, and to countries such as China , which continue to invest in Zimbabwe .

Hoon responded; “It is important to continue to isolate the regime, and it is vital to world opinion that the countries of Southern Africa take united and effective action to isolate Zimbabwe .”

Meanwhile a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Geoffrey Van Orden said the Zimbabwean crisis is receiving a lot of attention in parliament which passed a resolution in early September calling for toughening of targeted sanctions and widening the list of banned individuals.

When asked what proof there is that the ‘targeted sanctions’ are aimed at the regime and not the people of Zimbabwe . The MEP told Newsreel; “You only have to look at the nature of the sanctions. The sanctions are about freezing bank accounts, they are about travel bans, they are about freezing arms supplies.”

Van Orden said there is an enormous amount of international aid, which has gone to Zimbabweans, feeding millions. He added; “Of course dictators always try to blame measures taken against them for the hardships in their countries.”