Mugabe defends crackdown on settlements

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe yesterday defended his government's crackdown on what it calls illegal settlements - a drive that has left thousands homeless and drawn condemnation from the West.

Two children were crushed to death this month during the campaign that critics say has exacerbated an economic crisis, marked by severe food and fuel shortages, unemployment of around 70 per cent and inflation of over 140 per cent.

But Mr Mugabe repeated it was part of a bid to fight crime and clean up cities.

"As much as three trillion (Zimbabwe dollars or around $3 billion) has been committed to this programme... There is a clear construction and reconstruction programme," he said in remarks broadcast on state television.

"We pledged to revitalise our cities and towns and to deliver as many as 1.2 million housing units and residential stands by the year 2008. We also undertook to reorganise our SMEs (small and medium business enterprises) so they could grow and expand in an environment that is supportive, clean and decent."

Rights groups say up to 300,000 have been rendered homeless by the crackdown. The official figure is 120,000.

European Commission President José Barroso yesterday joined the United States and Britain in criticism of what has been called "Operation Restore Order".

The operation once again threatened a rift between the West and African nations over how to resolve Zimbabwe's crisis, which critics blame on government mismanagement and a plan to give white-owned farms to landless blacks.

After British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw blamed African leaders on Thursday for not stepping in, an African Union (AU) spokesman said it could not intervene in "an internal matter".

This followed calls by some 120 rights groups, including Amnesty International, for the AU to put the matter on its agenda at an annual summit in Libya on July 4-5.