Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, his wife Grace and his nephew Leo Mugabe have been placed on a U.S. Treasury Department list of individuals believed to have funded terrorist organizations.
The Specially Designated Nationals list is maintained by the by the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control which enforces the economic sanctions that already target Mr. Mugabe and other members of his ZANU-PF party.
The Treasury also added the South African-based Al Aqsa Foundation, which claims to be Southern Africa's "largest orphan and needy children sponsorship project for Palestine.” The Treasury said "several officials" from the charity are "active supporters of Al-Qaeda and [Lebanon-based] Asbat Al-Ansar".
Controversial businessmen Muller Conrad "Billy" Rautenbach of Zimbabwe and multinational operator John Bredenkamp, both closely tied to President Mugabe and ZANU-PF party, are also listed.
The U.S. Treasury gave no reason for putting Mr. Mugabe, family members and associates on the terror funding list.
Reached by reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe, Leo Mugabe said he was not aware that his name had been placed on the American watchlist.
Political analyst Charles Mangongera said Washington seems obsessed with Mr Mugabe, adding that Mr. Mugabe's links with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad cannot be construed as supporting terrorism.
* VoA
