Mugabe out by Christmas, opposition chief predicts

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe will be toppled within a few months, the southern African country's main opposition leader said in comments published in Britain on Wednesday.

"The mood is very tense. We are caught between a restless population and an arrogant government," Morgan Tsvangirai told the Guardian newspaper in an interview.

"The way pressure is mounting in the country, people have been urging us to take immediate action. We are working out our plans. It could be sparked by the lack of payment for civil servants. Inflation is at a galloping rate. It may be caused by shortages," he added.

MESSAGE BOARD Share your thoughts on Zimbabwe's future

Mugabe has two years of a six-year presidential term to run.

Tsvangirai, who heads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said that a series of planned demonstrations and strikes would force Mugabe out of power before Christmas, the newspaper reported.

The MDC won an unprecedented 57 out of 120 elected seats in parliamentary elections in June which followed five months of violence.

At least 31 people, mainly MDC supporters and including five white farmers, were killed in the unrest.

Earlier this year Mugabe amended the constitution to give him the power to seize white-owned farms and give them to blacks with no obligation to pay for the land.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Zimbabwe's economy, accounting for 20 percent of gross domestic product.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Ian Smith returns to Zimbabwe, urges Mugabe's resignation
November 7, 2000
White farmers challenge legality of Zimbabwe farm seizures
November 6, 2000
Zimbabwe opposition leader warns of possible uprising
November 3, 2000
Zimbabwe Parliament approves farm seizures
November 2, 2000
Former Rhodesian leader dismisses Mugabe trial threat
October 26, 2000
Mugabe threatens to bring whites to trial for genocide
October 25, 2000
Rhodesian ex-leader Smith rewrites autobiography
October 19, 2000
Zimbabwe's Mugabe denies pledge to end farm occupations
August 3, 2000

ZANU PF Homepage
Zimbabwe Movement for Democratic Change
Land Issue in Zimbabwe
Commercial Farmers' Union
United Nations Home Page
Zimbabwe Government Online

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.