U.S. keeps pressure on Zimbabwe

Mugabe is seeking re-election in March

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The U.S. has promised to "ratchet up" pressure on the Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to ensure free and fair presidential elections.

The warning came during a visit by a top U.S. politician to South Africa, Zimbabwe's most influential neighbour, on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe has come under increasing international pressure to guarantee elections go-ahead unimpeded on March 9 and 10 after Mugabe's party pushed through controversial security bills last week.

Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the House's Africa Committee, also confirmed reports that Washington was taking steps to locate millions of dollars thought to have been deposited abroad by Mugabe and his circle.

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"You certainly can expect the U.S. to continue to ratchet up the pressure for free and fair elections between now and March 9," Royce said.

He accused Mugabe's inner circle of top officials, as well as army officers stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of stashing money abroad and going on shopping trips to Europe and the United States.

"We have a serious concern with the fact that, while people are struggling in Zimbabwe, we see this type of free spending and transfer of assets out of Zimbabwe and to accounts in the United States," Royce said.

The U.S. has the power to oppose debt relief and vote against loan credit or guarantees to the government of Zimbabwe if it does not change its ways following the introduction of a new law passed last month.

The European Union and the 54-member Commonwealth are also considering taking action such as sanctions and suspension.

The situation is set to worsen when Mugabe's government is expected to try to get its controversial media bill through parliament on Wednesday after a 24-hour delay.

The opposition and the West fear it will limit press freedoms in Zimbabwe if passed.

It had been temporarily dropped by parliament on Tuesday after a committee found serious problems with some clauses.

But the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it expected the bill to be resubmitted despite the parliamentary legal committee not having met and a report not having been written.

The Access to Information and Privacy Bill would ban foreign journalists from the country and require domestic journalists to register with the government.

Journalists accused of sowing "alarm and despondency" could be jailed for two years.

Mugabe told a summit of African leaders in Malawi this week that he agreed to ensure presidential elections were free and fair and to allow overseas observers and foreign journalists to cover the poll.