Brutal regimes often try to hide from the outside world the price their people pay for their own failed policies. Then a single event will bring it back to the surface and into our headlines. On March 11 Zimbabwean police broke up a prayer meeting in Harare. One man was killed, 50 people were arrested and the badly battered face of the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been seen in papers and on televisions across the globe.

For those of us who have watched the tragedy of Zimbabwe unfold over recent years, this latest appalling attack comes as little surprise: it is a symptom of a country in crisis. An economy in free-fall — GDP halved since 2000 and inflation set to top 5,000 per cent. A quarter of the population dependent on food aid, four in every five without a job and one of the lowest life expectancies in the world: a girl born in Zimbabwe today will, on average, die before she reaches 35. Little wonder that between three and four million people have already left the country.

We in Britain have always been clear on Zimbabwe. We want change for the better — joining the millions of Zimbabwean voices calling for their own Government to listen to its people, take heed and change. But the regime controls the media and portrays Robert Mugabe as standing up for the rights of Africans against outside interference. So we have a twin focus. First, we are doing what we can to alleviate the suffering of Zimbabweans, while making sure that assistance is not exploited to prop up the regime. In the past five years we have given more than £140 million to humanitarian projects and to combat the HIV/Aids epidemic that has infected one in five Zimbabweans. That money is helping to keep millions alive. And we are also offering a full consular service to the large community with ties to the UK.

Secondly, we support all those working for peaceful change. We condemn violence from any quarter and, despite the incredible provocation, we hope that this latest attack will not lead to further bloodshed. We are playing a leading role in EU efforts to isolate President Mugabe’s regime. We have targeted its leaders rather than impose wider sanctions that would harm the very people we are trying to help. So the EU has banned 130 people from coming to Europe, we’ve frozen their assets and banned all arms sales.

Expert View

All tyrannies have a tipping point, a moment when the power of the dictator crumbles and he reads the writing on the wall

Ben Macintyre

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BACKGROUND

• Zimbabwe’s crocodile staring at defeat

• The 'perfect storm’ that threatens his crumbling power

• Zimbabwe falls into 'ad hoc state of emergency'

This is not — whatever President Mugabe may claim — a personal attack on him. We care about policies not personalities. We want reform. We want sensible economic measures. We want a return to freedom of association and freedom of the press. We want free and fair elections. More importantly, so do the people of Zimbabwe. We don’t care if this is done by Mr Mugabe or by someone else.

What matters is that the situation for ordinary Zimbabweans improves. They deserve better.

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