Twenty years ago, when the independent state of Zimbabwe came into being, its leader, President Robert Mugabe, addressed the country's white community on radio in an attempt to assuage its fears. He succeeded in doing so by showing his awareness of possible dangers. "Our majority rule," he told his listeners, "could easily turn into inhuman rule if we oppressed, persecuted or harassed those of us who do not look or think like the majority of us."
For many years Mr Mugabe steered his country towards economic and social success. Zimbabwe's literacy rate became one of the highest in Africa. As recently as three years ago, economic growth was running at eight per cent. Inward investment reflected international confidence in the economy.
Today, the spectre of "inhuman rule" waxes as support for the ruling ZANU-PF party wanes. The results of a consultative referendum last month confirmed that Mr Mugabe's popularity had slumped. With inflation running close to 60 per cent, half of the workforce unemployed and erratic energy supply causing chaos, voters felt they had little to lose in opposing the government.
Conveniently, with a general election due next month, the emotive issue of land reform has come to the fore. Vast tracts of land in Zimbabwe were forcibly expropriated by colonists - many of whom went on to treat their black workers as little better than slaves. Resentment among blacks was strong; redistribution of land was, after all, what the veterans fought for two decades ago. A nod from the president was enough to send them into the fields.
The result has been Zimbabwe's further destabilisation. Opposition politicians and white farmers have been murdered. It could have been very different had a comprehensive and fair policy of land reform been pursued from an early stage. Instead, land went to Mr Mugabe's political cronies with the result that funding for reform from Britain - the former colonial power - ceased.
The latest attempt to stabilise the situation came when presidents Mbeki of South Africa, Nujoma of Namibia and Chissano of Mozambique, met Mr Mugabe at Victoria Falls. The meeting ended with a statement describing Mr Mugabe as "a champion of the rule of law." This obvious hyperbole was intended to copper-fasten a deal struck behind the scenes in which, for financial aid from the international community, Mr Mugabe would call off the land campaign and order the veterans back from the farms.
There is still no sign of Mr Mugabe keeping his side of the bargain. Attacks on farms have grown both in number and associated violence. Farm workers, so frequently the victims of the landowners, have increasingly become victimised by the squatters.
It is in the interest of southern Africa as a whole that Zimbabwe's instability be brought to an end. Britain has a moral duty in this area while South Africa, under Mr Mbeki, has strong leverage at its disposal. Zimbabwe's energy supply is underwritten by a 135 million dollar South African loan. Concerted financial and moral pressure is needed to compel Mr Mugabe to keep his promise.