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Zimbabwe on warpath with Britain: Mugabe
Harare, Nov 09: President Robert Mugabe said Friday that Zimbabwe was facing a `situation of conflict` with former colonial power Britain, blaming it for the current economic crisis in the southern African country, state television reported.
Harare, Nov 09: President Robert Mugabe said Friday that Zimbabwe was facing a "situation of conflict" with former colonial power Britain, blaming it for the current economic crisis in the southern African country, state television reported.
"We are in a situation at the moment, not of peace, not quite of a full-blast war, but nevertheless a situation of conflict," he said.
"And our economy is a siege economy at the moment, and the siege being one that has been created for us by our former colonial power Britain because of its opposition to the land reform program." The comments came a day after Zimbabwe said 121 British officials, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, would not be allowed to travel to Zimbabwe, and that all Britons would need a visa to enter the country.
This was apparently in reaction to Britain's decision to impose visa restrictions on Zimbabweans, a move British High Commissioner Brian Donnelly in Harare said was to clamp down on illegal immigration.
Britain has been highly critical of Zimbabwe's current land reform program under which land has been taken from hundreds of white farmers and given to black farmers.
Meanwhile the Zimbabwe government said it was "not worried" by the imposition of visa restrictions on those wishing to travel to Britain, but said the move was racist.
"It's directed at blacks," Information Minister Jonathan Moyo told ZBC television late Friday. The only reason Zimbabweans had not needed travel visas before was because the former colonial power was protecting its "kith and kin" in the country, he said.
"Now that we have our land and they don't have it and some of them have gone to Britain and to other white Commonwealth countries, it stands to reason that the dispensation (of a visa) has followed them," Moyo added.
He said Zimbabweans leaving the country were "being treated as slaves in Europe, Australia and other developed countries."
Zimbabwe is currently in the throes of its worst economic crisis since independence more than 20 years ago, with inflation running at nearly 140 percent and unemployment believed to be 70 percent.
"And our economy is a siege economy at the moment, and the siege being one that has been created for us by our former colonial power Britain because of its opposition to the land reform program." The comments came a day after Zimbabwe said 121 British officials, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, would not be allowed to travel to Zimbabwe, and that all Britons would need a visa to enter the country.
This was apparently in reaction to Britain's decision to impose visa restrictions on Zimbabweans, a move British High Commissioner Brian Donnelly in Harare said was to clamp down on illegal immigration.
Britain has been highly critical of Zimbabwe's current land reform program under which land has been taken from hundreds of white farmers and given to black farmers.
Meanwhile the Zimbabwe government said it was "not worried" by the imposition of visa restrictions on those wishing to travel to Britain, but said the move was racist.
"It's directed at blacks," Information Minister Jonathan Moyo told ZBC television late Friday. The only reason Zimbabweans had not needed travel visas before was because the former colonial power was protecting its "kith and kin" in the country, he said.
"Now that we have our land and they don't have it and some of them have gone to Britain and to other white Commonwealth countries, it stands to reason that the dispensation (of a visa) has followed them," Moyo added.
He said Zimbabweans leaving the country were "being treated as slaves in Europe, Australia and other developed countries."
Zimbabwe is currently in the throes of its worst economic crisis since independence more than 20 years ago, with inflation running at nearly 140 percent and unemployment believed to be 70 percent.