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| Zimbabwe's police ban protests | Zimbabwe's police ban protests |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police in Zimbabwe's capital have imposed a three-month ban on political rallies and protests to try to calm tensions, after recent violence. | Police in Zimbabwe's capital have imposed a three-month ban on political rallies and protests to try to calm tensions, after recent violence. |
| The police said there was "pandemonium and looting" on Sunday when they halted an opposition rally. | |
| The opposition have likened the move to "a state of emergency" and said the government of Zimbabwe was panicking. | The opposition have likened the move to "a state of emergency" and said the government of Zimbabwe was panicking. |
| President Robert Mugabe has said he has no intention of stepping down, in an interview to mark his 83rd birthday. | President Robert Mugabe has said he has no intention of stepping down, in an interview to mark his 83rd birthday. |
| In the rambling hour-long television interview, Mr Mugabe also criticised colleagues who have been debating when he will retire and who should replace him. | |
| The state-run Herald newspaper devoted 16 pages of pictures and congratulatory messages to Mr Mugabe in its Wednesday edition. | |
| Mr Mugabe retains an iron grip after nearly 27 years in power. His supporters are preparing a large party in the central city of Gweru at the weekend to mark his birthday and have sought donations from the population. | |
| But critics say this is a huge waste of money, when so much of the population is impoverished. | But critics say this is a huge waste of money, when so much of the population is impoverished. |
| On Sunday, police used tear-gas and water cannon to prevent an opposition rally from going ahead in the capital, Harare, despite a ruling by the High Court that it should be allowed. | |
| There were several arrests. The police have been out in force in Harare suburbs since then. | There were several arrests. The police have been out in force in Harare suburbs since then. |
| Staying put | Staying put |
| Mr Mugabe said in his interview that those jockeying to replace him were resorting to nonsense. | |
| Robert Mugabe admitted the standard of living had declined | Robert Mugabe admitted the standard of living had declined |
| He said there would come a day when he would go but it was not now. | He said there would come a day when he would go but it was not now. |
| "Can you see any vacancies? The door is closed," he told his interviewer. | "Can you see any vacancies? The door is closed," he told his interviewer. |
| People could talk about the process of succession, he said, but not with a view to pushing him out of office now. | People could talk about the process of succession, he said, but not with a view to pushing him out of office now. |
| And he had some sharp words for those who might be in the running to succeed him. | |
| President Mugabe said there were high-ranking, ambitious people who were looking at themselves. | President Mugabe said there were high-ranking, ambitious people who were looking at themselves. |
| Asked about Zimbabwe's deepening economic crisis, Mr Mugabe denied that the economy was sinking, though he admitted that there was a decline in the standard of living. | Asked about Zimbabwe's deepening economic crisis, Mr Mugabe denied that the economy was sinking, though he admitted that there was a decline in the standard of living. |
| Last week, the annual rate of inflation shot up to nearly 1,600%. | |
| The BBC's Southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says Mr Mugabe's comments are unlikely to offer much comfort to ordinary people, whose daily lives have become a struggle for survival. |