British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is stepping up efforts to ban Zimbabwe’s cricket team from touring Britain next year to pressure the government of President Robert Mugabe for its alleged human rights violations and humanitarian negligence.
Meanwhile the U.S. administration of President George Bush said late Tuesday that it is extending by a year sanctions against President Mugabe and his inner circle.
Bush said in a statement that, "The crisis constituted by the actions and policies of certain members of the government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions has not been resolved."
Reports this week said London was considering barring all Zimbabwean athletes from British soil, but Brown's office put out a statement saying this was not contemplated.
Former British sports minister Kate Hoey told reporter Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that she is pleased with moves by the government to curtail cricket exchanges because it will send a signal to the Harare government.
