[Cincinatus' Wife]

U.S. Sanctions Are Racist Attack-Zimbabwe Official*** HARARE (Reuters) - A senior Zimbabwean official condemned on Saturday a U.S. decision to impose sanctions on the leadership as part of a "white racist" attack on a government he said was fighting for the interests of its black majority.

President Bush on Friday imposed economic sanctions on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and 76 other high-ranking government officials, accusing them of undermining democracy in the impoverished southern African country. Bush, following the lead of the European Union, issued an executive order freezing their assets and barring Americans from engaging in any transactions or dealings with them.

The Zimbabwean official said the new sanctions were part of a well-coordinated attack on Mugabe by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who he said was angry over Mugabe's seizures of white-owned farms in Zimbabwe, a former British colony. "All these sanctions being imposed on us are unjustified because they are part of a racist campaign against our land reform program," said the official, who declined to be named.***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Zimbabwe's biggest strike continues***Shops and industries in Zimbabwe's main cities remain closed for a second day of an opposition called strike. Security is tight ahead of a march into central Harare, planned for Wednesday afternoon.

The BBC's Lewis Machipisa in Harare says that police have fired live ammunition to disperse opposition activists who were throwing stones at cars in the suburb of Glen View. Correspondents say this has been the most successful strike for several years.

It was called by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), with the aim of paralysing the economy and forcing President Robert Mugabe to step down. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has been accused by some party activists of not doing enough to make life difficult for Mr Mugabe since his controversial re-election a year ago.

'Ringleaders sought'

The government has not yet commented on the strike but the police described it as illegal and a total failure, saying that more than 60 arrests were made after clashes with protesters.

Two MDC lawmakers were among those arrested. Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said detectives were investigating what he described as "ringleaders who are paying youths to participate in illegal activities."

The second city of Bulawayo is also shut down.

Government offices and banks are open but many workers are unable to get to work because of the lack of public transport. Our correspondent says that the police have set up roadblocks on major routes into central Harare and are searching cars. ***