Politics
Zimbabwe: Mugabe indicates willingness to retaliate against British, U.S. companies over continued sanctions
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. PHOTO/Reuters
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has indicated a willingness for “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 revealed that he may expel British and American-owned companies over what he said was the West’s interference in the politics of the country.
Mugabe said: “You hit me, I hit you. We have a country to run and we must be left free to run it.” Britain, the former colonial power, and the United States have refused to endorse Mugabe’s landslide victory in the July 31 elections, citing “evidence of irregularities”.
The Western countries maintain economic restrictions and sanctions on Mugabe and leaders of his ruling party.
British companies in Zimbabwe include banking groups Standard Chartered Plc and Barclays Plc. These are already the target of an indigenization 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.
The African Union and the regional 15 member state nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) endorsed the elections as peaceful – though they voiced concern about irregularites during the vote.
