BBC defies Zimbabwe ban

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London - The BBC has defied a ban on reporting from Zimbabwe by staging an undercover trip there, which revealed challenges to President Robert Mugabe from within his own party, the broadcaster said on Tuesday.

BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson spent a week in the south African country carrying out interviews and filming, he told BBC radio after leaving Zimbabwe late on Monday.

"I didn't feel I was in deadly danger. I think probably I would have faced a nasty term of imprisonment, but a short one, be paraded around and pushed about a bit," said Simpson, whose only disguise was a baseball cap.

In one of a series of reports, Simpson said that a leading figure inside the ruling Zanu-PF party was planning to mount a challenge to Mugabe.

Simba Makoni, a former finance minister under Mugabe, now looks set to run against him in national elections expected in March, he said, reporting "growing opposition" to Mugabe from within the party's ranks.

BCC banned in Zim

But he reported that there was no serious risk of a popular uprising in the country, hit by record inflation. "Everybody is very gloomy about the immediate future," said Simpson.

"Living standards are pretty, pretty difficult," he said, but added that any change in government would likely only come via political moves.

He added: "If it does come it will be through simply a split in the ruling party as seems to be in offing."

The British Broadcasting Corporation is banned in the former British colony, but was widely watched via satellite and other means.

"The trouble is that so many people watch the BBC in Zimbabwe and fairly regular appearances... make you stand out a bit. I did in fact get recognised several times," he said.

Simpson left Zimbabwe for South Africa late on Monday, just as the first of his undercover television reports was aired in Britain, the BBC said.

- AFP