Zimbabwe war veterans defiant

Police manned roadblocks into Harare on Saturday

Several hundred supporters of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe held a meeting on Saturday outside the headquarters of his Zanu-PF party in the capital, Harare.

They included a number of the black war veterans who have occupied hundreds of white-owned farms around the country in recent weeks.

They were addressed by war veterans' leader Chenjerai Hunzvi, who said he had no power to order his supporters off the farms in line with this week's High Court order.

He said he could not tell people to withdraw from their own soil.

Other speakers repeatedly referred to the prospect of war over the land issue.

The veterans say they will only obey the president's orders

But the BBC's Grant Ferrett in Harare says the war veterans' leaders are sending out conflicting signals.

Earlier in the day, state-run media said Mr Hunzvi had told supporters on one farm near Harare to leave.

Police were deployed in force in Harare on Saturday, following rumours that opposition groups were planning another demonstration over the farm seizures.

Paramilitary police manned roadblocks into the city, searching cars for weapons, while military helicopters flew overhead.

Government buildings were also heavily guarded.

But the National Constitutional Assembly, an umbrella group of opposition parties and civic movements, said there was no march planned for Saturday.

Two weeks ago, 15 people were seriously injured in the city centre when demonstrating opposition parties clashed with Zanu-PF supporters.

Warning to UK

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader has warned Britain against turning President Mugabe into a martyr.

Morgan Tsvangirai, who met the UK Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in London on Friday, said Britain should instead pursue dialogue, and offer to fund land reform, in return for guarantees of democracy.

Mr Tsvangirai is seeking greater recognition for his party

He also rejected a call from the UK opposition Conservative Party to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

Mr Cook said his meeting with Mr Tsvangirai had been a good one, and both men had agreed that the most important issue was a free and fair election.

The foreign secretary said the UK would provide cash help for land reform under certain conditions.

"Britain would support a genuine land reform programme which would benefit the rural poor and provide fair compensation to those farmers willing to sell land," said Mr Cook.

President Mugabe has insisted that the transfer of white-owned land will go ahead, in spite of concerns from Britain and other European countries.