Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was scheduled to launch a national campaign of his ZANU-PF party against Western sanctions on Wednesday at the Agricultural Show Grounds in Harare under the theme “Sanctions do kill.”
Sources said the party has started busing people in from around the country to attend the event. War veterans and other ZANU-PF supporters have been forcing Zimbabweans to sign the anti-sanctions petition seeking two million signatures.
The European Union removed a number of names from its sanctions list last month, but close to 200 remained under travel and financial restrictions, including Mr. Mugabe.
ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told VOA Studio 7 reporter Blessing Zulu that every Zimbabwean is invited to the anti-sanctions campaign launch.
Political analyst Charles Mutasa told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that the campaign is not likely to have any effect on European, US or other targeted sanctions.
