Simba Makoni, the former Zimbabwe finance minister and now presidential challenger, has said that if Robert Mugabe is defeated in this month’s presidential elections he can retire to his village but will remain subject to the “law of the land”.

“He is an elderly man who has a special place in our history but who also has a lot to answer for,” Mr Makoni told the Financial Times. “There will be no retribution, no rancour. He will retire to his village if he wants to. He can write his memoirs as he once said he wanted to.”