UK embassy accused of racism

2004-11-04 16:35

Harare - State media said on Thursday that 40 Zimbabwean employees of the British embassy were engaged in a work slowdown to protest against racism and pay conditions.

Embassy spokesperson Gillian Dare denied the report carried by state radio and the government news agency.

President Robert Mugabe's government has repeatedly used the state media to make accusations against Western diplomats, particularly those from Britain and the United States.

Thursday's report said diplomats had received a 500% cost of living allowance, but Zimbabwean employees had been forced to settle for a 40% increase after a year of negotiations.

Zimbabwe is in the midst of its biggest political and economic crisis since independence in 1980. Inflation during the year has reached as high as 620%.

The state media said morale was low among Zimbabwean employees at the embassy and that it had been worsened by racist behaviour by some white diplomats.

It said the local employees had staged a go-slow protest and that the waiting time for a visa has increased from two to six weeks.

The government news agency also claimed local employees had been forced to undergo an HIV/Aids test.

Dare denied there was a pay dispute or that employees were staging a work slowdown.

"On the contrary, in the past three weeks the average time for processing visa applications has dropped from 10 to three days because of the hard work and commitment of staff," she said.

She added that HIV counselling was entirely voluntary, and denied any allegation of racism at the embassy.

"We strongly deny any charge of racism. The embassy is fully committed to the British government's equal opportunities policy," Dare said.

In the past, Zimbabwean government ministers have accused British diplomats of smuggling opposition election material into the country and stage-managing the wrecking of white farms, while beaming the pictures to western media from sophisticated overflying surveillance aircraft.

- AP