ZIMBABWEANS living in Southend will not return home to help rebuild their country, despite calls for them to do so, it has been claimed.

James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, has backed Zimbabwean prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s request for Zimbabweans to return to the African country.

Mr Tsvangirai has made an international tour to get finance for the reconstruction following a power-sharing agreement in the country between Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and opposition leaders.

After meeting with Mr Tsvangirai in the House of Commons, Mr Duddridge said: “I appreciate this will be a risk for some people, but in support of the Zimbabwean prime minister, I am asking those people who are able, to consider returning home and invest their skills in Zimbabwe once again.”

However, a large number of the 2,000 Zimbabweans based in Southend will reject the call, says activist Stanford Biti.

Mr Biti, 39, of North Crescent, Southend, is the brother of Zimbabwean finance minister Tendai Biti and a leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party in the UK.

He said: “We have lived with promises for years, but if you sup with the devil it doesn’t mean things have changed. There are only cosmetic changes in Zimbabwe.

“My brother, who I spoke to this week, has no power despite his position and nobody recognises the rule of law.”

Mr Biti has outlined what he wants in Zimbabwe before the party gets its UK members to help the country. He said Zimbabweans want to return when free, fair and democratic elections are guaranteed.