THE PAPERBACK publication of this chilling account of how a prosperous country, once known as "the breadbasket of Africa", descended into a morally and economically bankrupt tyranny comes shortly before the general election there.

Journalist Andrew Meldrum lived in and reported on, Zimbabwe in 1980 when it became independent. He came to love the country and its people and stayed permanently.

Courageously, he did not hesitate to chronicle, for outside consumption, the descent of Zimbabwe into barbarism, under its "liberator" Mugabe.

Inevitably, Meldrum was vilified, harassed, physically ill-treated, taken to court and finally bundled on to a plane and deported in 2003. He does not subscribe to the school of thought that it would have been better if a white regime had remained in power and he also presents a convincing analysis of why the present government behaves so appallingly. One can only hope that the terror in Zimbabwe will eventually fade and the people will get the democracy they so desperately want.

Where We Have Hope - A Memoir of Zimbabwe by Andrew Meldrum is published by John Murray priced £7.99.