Wellington: New Zealand may ban a planned tour by the Zimbabwe cricket team scheduled for December because of “appalling abuses of human rights” under President Robert Mugabe’s government, foreign minister Phil Goff said on Thursday.

“The Zimbabwe cricket team should not anticipate that it will be granted entry into New Zealand,” Goff said in a statement. “The imposition of a ban on the team would send a strong message to the Mugabe regime that New Zealanders and their government abhor the actions it is taking against its people.”

Goff said he was advised of the planned tour on Thursday and he had not yet had a chance to discuss it with the cabinet or get legal advice.

“However, given the current appalling abuses of human rights and relentless trend of the Zimbabwe government towards a dictatorship, the New Zealand government would not welcome a visit from a side representing Zimbabwe at this time.”

New Zealand Cricket officials were not available for comment. Chief executive Martin Snedden and chairman Sir John Anderson were on their way to London for the ICC’s annual meeting.

Earlier, Goff said the government had no legal way of stopping an earlier scheduled tour by the New Zealand Cricket team to Zimbabwe in August. The NZC announced full-strength Test and one-day squads on Wednesday.

“Only a dictatorial, autocratic regime can stop New Zealanders from leaving their own country,” Goff said. “That’s exactly what we’re protesting about in terms of what Mugabe is doing.” (AFP)