DA wants Zim 'smart sanctions'

2007-03-26 15:58

Cape Town - The government should immediately end its quiet diplomacy and enact smart sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, all members of his family and members of his government, Democratic Alliance chief whip Douglas Gibson said on Monday.

Gibson said the government should stop "pussy-footing" around the deepening humanitarian crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Gibson said President Thabo Mbeki "must recognise that quiet diplomacy has failed and he must tell President Mugabe that because quiet diplomacy has failed, straight talking and targeted action will now be tried".

Smart sanctions would entail enacting a travel ban on those individuals, so that Mugabe, his wife and his cronies were stopped from coming to South Africa for luxurious holidays at the expense of the Zimbabwean economy, said the chief whip.

Also, smart sanctions meant freezing all bank accounts linked to them, preventing them from buying property in South Africa, "or in any way profiting from and enjoyment of the comforts that are available here and not in Zimbabwe" due to Mugabe's destructive behaviour.

"Smart sanctions would not hurt the people of Zimbabwe. They will only hurt those who are responsible for the mess in that country.

"The Southern African Development Community should immediately follow suit and block much of the sub-continent from President Mugabe," said Gibson.

- I-Net Bridge (News24)