From VOA News, 3 September
Toughening sanctions, Australia deports children of Zimbabwe elite
By Blessing Zulu
Washington - Political tension between Zimbabwe and Australia spiked on Monday after Canberra followed through on a recent announcement that it was stepping up sanctions against Harare by deporting eight students who are children of top Zimbabwe officials. Government sources in Harare said the move sent shock waves through government and ruling party circles where there is fear that other Western countries such as the United States, Britain and Canada may take their cue from Australia and deport the dependents of top government and ruling Zanu PF officials. (...) The Zimbabwe National Students Union said it welcomed Canberra's move. Analyst Innocent Chofamba-Sithole told VOA from London that complaints from officials in Harare are hypocritical as the government attacks the West but its officials send their children to study there. On the same flight that carried the students back to Africa was opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, whose contacts with top Australian officials in recent days during a visit Down Under drew heated criticism from Harare officials and state media. Tsvangirai spokesman William Bango said that during the connecting flight between Johannesburg and Harare, Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri accused Tsvangirai of spurring Australia to deport the students.
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