Judith Todd adds voice to Zimbabwe tour boycott

Zimbabwe human rights activist Judith Todd will join Henry Olonga in New Zealand this week to urge the Black Caps to call off their tour to Robert Mugabe's pariah state.

Ms Todd, the daughter of New Zealand-born former Southern Rhodesia Prime Minister Sir Garfield Todd, has accused Mr Mugabe's regime of a genocidal campaign to kill political opponents.

The pair opposed white minority rule in pre-independence Zimbabwe, but by the time he died in 2002 Sir Garfield was also a leading voice against the corruption of Mr Mugabe's regime.

Political and public opposition to the New Zealand Cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe has firmed since the Black Caps team to play two tests and a one-day series was named.

NZ Cricket says it must tour Zimbabwe next month or face crippling International Cricket Council sanctions.

However, human rights abuses continue in Zimbabwe's cities, where Mr Mugabe's police and soldiers have been bulldozing the strongholds of political rivals, leaving 300,000 people homeless and children dead in the rubble.

Mr Olonga, Zimbabwe's first black test cricketer, is being flown to Christchurch today by the Green Party and will meet NZ Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden tomorrow.

Mr Olonga and fellow cricketer Andy Flower were forced to flee Zimbabwe after wearing black armbands during the 2003 Cricket World Cup to protest against Mr Mugabe's human rights abuses.

If sporting boycotts had a chance of helping the millions of starving Zimbabweans, then they should be considered, said Mr Olonga.

Both he and Ms Todd will feature at a rally in Auckland on Saturday called by tour opponents.