Mugabe lambasts Britain in post-poll speech

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe bitterly attacked former colonial ruler Britain yesterday in his first major speech since disputed elections, saying London was paying the population to turn against him.

Mr Mugabe, 84, told 15,000 cheering supporters in a fiery address to mark independence day: "Down with the British. Down with thieves who want to steal our country."

In a stream of insults against Britain, Mr Mugabe added: "Today they are like thieves fronting their lackeys among us, which they give money to confuse our people."

President Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, is under heavy international pressure over a delay in releasing results from the March 29 presidential election, which the opposition says was won by its leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

In a new setback for Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) the Harare High Court yesterday rejected its bid to prevent a partial election recount today. The recount, of 23 out of 210 constituencies, could overturn the MDC's win in the parliamentary vote, when Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF lost control of the assembly for the first time. The court had previously rejected an MDC bid to force authorities to release the result of the presidential vote. Mr Mugabe, brushing aside the international pressure, struck a familiar theme in his speech, painting Britain and not the MDC as the real enemy.

"Today they have perfected their tactics to a more subtle form by using money literally to buy some people to turn against their government. We are being bought like livestock," he said.

The former guerilla commander received a rousing welcome from his supporters at Gwanzura stadium in Highfield, a restive opposition stronghold on the edge of the capital Harare. The carnival atmosphere in the stadium contrasted with the poverty outside, where the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy and the world's worst hyper-inflation have forced residents to contend with shortages of water and food, and 80 per cent unemployment.

Critics accuse Mr Mugabe of wrecking a once-prosperous country.

The delay in issuing the presidential result has provoked a chorus of criticism including from the US and the ruling party in neighbouring South Africa. The MDC accuses Mr Mugabe of unleashing loyal militias to help him rig victory in an expected runoff against Mr Tsvangirai.

"Zimbabwe will never be a colony again. Never shall we retreat," said Mr Mugabe, wearing a dark suit and tie and speaking mostly in the local Shona language. After a few days when he seemed badly wounded by the election, Mr Mugabe - backed by his military and hardliners in the Cabinet - has returned to his normal brash defiance. Security forces paraded in the stadium before his speech and large posters denounced the opposition and Britain.

The British embassy in Harare issued a statement yesterday saying it was increasingly concerned "at reports of beatings and violence being unleashed against electoral officials and opposition supporters".

Both US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday called for more action from Africa to end the post-election deadlock in Zimbabwe.

African reaction has been subdued and the continent has largely taken its cue from South African President Thabo Mbeki, attacked both at home and abroad for insisting on a softly softly diplomatic approach to Mr Mugabe.