HARARE – Britain on Thursday insisted that Harare must make significant strides towards reform if Western sanctions are to be lifted, turning down calls by South African President Jacob Zuma for the lifting of the visa and financial bans imposed on President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF allies.

Addressing reporters after his meeting with Zuma in London British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the European Union (EU) sanctions “do not target Zimbabwe or Zimbabweans. They target individuals who are responsible for violence and a number of businesses linked to them".

The South African leader had suggested that the sanctions imposed on Mugabe and his inner circle in 2003 be temporarily removed to aid implementation of a global political agreement (GPA) signed by Mugabe and his long time MDC rival Morgan Tsvangirai leading up to the formation of a unity government in February last year.

"If the Zimbabwean issue is not moving forward some people could certainly use sanctions as an excuse, to say because we are sanctioned how can we operate, some ministers are able to travel abroad others are not so there is no equality. These are matters of importance and that is why we agreed to try and help resolve the situation in Zimbabwe,” said Zuma.

But the British premier insisted the sanctions that the EU last month extended for another year will stay until the veteran Zimbabwean leader, accused in the past of unleashing terror on his citizens, shows willingness to drive the country towards a democratic environment.

“The UK has always said we are ready to support progress on the ground. But we must be absolutely sure that progress is being made. We must be moving from what is a unity, transitional government to free and fair elections," said Brown.

The United States followed the EU on Tuesday by renewing the targeted sanctions which restrict Mugabe and his inner circle from travelling to Europe. They also bar their companies from doing business with Europe and America.

But South Africa, which is the Southern African Development Community mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis, argues that the continued existence of the targeted measures on Mugabe and his allies is hurting efforts to solve the political problems in Zimbabwe.

Last week Botswana, for long viewed as being against Mugabe, also supported the lifting of sanctions.

The European Union and other Western nations imposed sanctions against Mugabe in 2002 as punishment for failure to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law. But the veteran leader says the sanctions are meant to remove him from power as punishment for seizing white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks. – ZimOnline