British companies operating in Zimbabwe could be kicked out of the country if Robert Mugabe is deposed as President. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has given warning that licences permitting foreign companies to operate would be revisited when Mr Mugabe is finally removed from office.

It has also told foreign governments that if they lend money to the Mugabe regime the debts will not be repaid by a new government. Opponents of Mr Mugabe want to choke off his access to money in the hope of bringing the regime to an end.

Roy Bennett, the treasurer of the MDC, said: “All investment in Zimbabwe will be revisited when we get rid of Mugabe. These companies need to be careful because their rights will be scrutinised.”

The MDC's threat to companies operating in Zimbabwe is thought to be directed at leading businesses such as Anglo American, the miner, Barclays Bank and SABMiller, the brewer.

The MDC has said that companies investing in Zimbabwe are helping to prop up the Mugabe regime and this will be taken into account by any future MDC government.

The Times reported earlier this week that Anglo American was investing $400 million (£200 million) in Zimbabwe. The company is building a platinum mine at Unki in central Zimbabwe and hopes to be producing metal by 2010.

Its plans prompted outrage from British politicians and anti-Mugabe campaigners who said that the investment would help to prolong the current regime.

Anglo said that it was reviewing its Zimbabwean operations but wanted to stay in the country for the sake of its 650 employees. Other companies, including Barclays and SABMiller, gave the same reason for staying.

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