ANDREW MELDRUM, Harare | Monday 11.35am.
THE British Foreign Office has drawn up contingency plans to evacuate an estimated 20000 British passport holders from Zimbabwe following President Robert Mugabe’s refusal to take action against thousands of black squatters who are occupying around 750 white-owned farms.
In an interview with CNN this weekend President Mugabe said he would ignore a ruling by the Zimbabwean High Court that the occupation of farms is illegal and that police should remove the squatters, most of whom support his government.
”It would bring chaos if we attempted to implement the decision of the court,” he said. ”I view it as merely a peaceful demonstration by the war veterans. As long as it remains peaceful we will not have to send the police in.”
His decision brought strongly criticism from Britain, the United States, South Africa and the European Union.
The Foreign Office minister Peter Hain said on Sunday that the sense of insecurity created by the invasions in Zimbabwe had lead to the evacuation plans being put in place.
”We hope it won’t come to that,” said Hain. ”It is important for the Zimbabwe government to understand that white farmers and other whites want to be part of their country and want to stay in the country they love.” — The Guardian