Zimbabwe 'meltdown' feared as exodus gains pace

South Africa has designated a disused military base on its northern border with Zimbabwe as a holding centre for refugees fleeing the rising tide of violence and economic hardship linked to Zimbabwe's political crisis.

Leslie Mashokwe, a government home affairs spokesman, said Pretoria had identified an old military complex near Messina "to provide accommodation should the situation in Zimbabwe reach meltdown".

Human rights groups warned yesterday that politically motivated violence in Zimbabwe was rising despite mounting international pressure on President Robert Mugabe, who faces the greatest challenge yet to his 20-year rule in the election to be held on 9 and 10 March. The European Union and the United States have threatened Mr Mugabe with sanctions if he does not ensure free and fair elections.

At least 2,500 Zimbabweans a day are crossing legally into South Africa to escape the political turmoil, immigration officials in Zimbabwe say. About 300 a day are leaving for Britain.

Most of the Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa are obtaining tourist or shopping visas but they immediately became illegal immigrants once the temporary visas expire. A senior Zimbabwean immigration official said: "We suspect that many more people are crossing the border into South Africa illegally to seek employment there. Most of those people going to South Africa as tourists are in fact going there in search of employment and they are not coming back once their visas expire."

Immigration officials said at least 300 Zimbabweans a day were leaving to join friends and relatives in Britain. They said an estimated 400,000 Zimbabweans were now living in Britain, more than half of them illegally. Zimbabweans can enter Britain without a visa, if their stay is for holiday or business and for less than six months.