Zimbabwe, a once prosperous African nation, is seriously short of food, and its lack of fuel has brought industry to a standstill. The country's infrastructure is fraying badly at the edges with schools and hospitals struggling to survive. Most blame these humanly caused misfortunes on President Robert Mugabe's brutal regime.

As The Sunday Telegraph reported, "With the country's economy in tatters, thanks to years of misrule, Mugabe thought he had a guaranteed vote winner when his loyal constitutional panel drew up clause 57, to enshrine land confiscation and demand compensation for white farmers by [from] the old colonial power: Britain."

Zimbabwe's government was in shock after the people produced the courage to stand up to the regime by voting "no" in the recent constitutional referendum. Yet there are reports of the illegal occupation of quite a number of white-owned farms in spite of that national vote.

Moreover, the Zimbabwe dollar was worth 50 British pence when President Mugabe assumed power. It is now valued at 1.5 pence. And as The Independent on Sunday reported, "Every week 1,200 Zimbabweans die of AIDS and life expectancy since 1980 has fallen from 59 to 42."

A beautiful country has apparently been laid waste and many of British descent are applying for passports at the British High Commission in the nation's capital, Harare, preparing to emigrate. ( The Sunday Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, The Daily Mail (all London).)