UK denies backing opposition

The British government has denied any involvement in the week-long stayaway by Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) earlier this month.

The statement was issued after the official The Herald newspaper last week reported President Robert Mugabe as saying that the MDC had received funding from Britain and help from the British High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, Brian Donnelly, to stage the anti-government protests.

Mugabe reportedly said: "If he continues doing it we will kick him [Donnelly] out of this country."

In a brief statement the British High Commission said: "The British government supports the fundamental rights of Zimbabweans to freedom of expression and freedom of association. How Zimbabweans choose to exercise those rights is entirely a matter for them. The British government and the British High Commission had no role in funding or organising, in any way whatsoever, last week's stayaway or protests."

The exchange comes amid already poor relations between Zimbabwe and Britain, the former colonial power, sparked mainly by a dispute over compensation for white farmers whose properties have been listed for acquisition in the country's controversial land reform programme.

Meanwhile, news reports said the office of South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki was handed a petition by a group of Zimbabweans living in South Africa, calling on Mbeki to exert pressure on Mugabe to release opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Last week the group staged a hunger strike outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, which houses the South African administration.

Tsvangirai has spent over a week in jail waiting for bail on a treason charge related to the stayaway, which was declared illegal by the police.