HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) – Zimbabwe’s Opposition vowed to finish off its campaign to topple President Robert Mugabe as its leader left hospital in a wheelchair Friday following his beating at the hands of the security services.

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) president Morgan Tsvangirai was whisked away from the private Avenues hospital in downtown Harare to his home and later failed to show at a press conference as he was under orders to rest.

However, senior MDC officials and other Opposition leaders promised to take to the streets again to demonstrate against the Government and took a swipe at African leaders whose response to the assaults has so far been muted.

“We are in the final phase of the final push,” said MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti.

“We are going to do anything by democratic means to defeat the regime of Robert Mugabe.”

In response, Mugabe said the Opposition would face more beatings if they staged more protests, also warning that western diplomats backing Tsvangirai would be “read the riot act” and faced being kicked out of the country.

“We are the Government, we will not be deterred by any criticisms, which are completely unfounded, from carrying out our duties,” Mugabe said.

“Those who would want to represent their countries here must behave properly or else we kick them out of our country,” Mugabe told a meeting of the youth assembly of his ruling party.

Mugabe has brushed aside international condemnation sparked by the images of a badly-beaten Tsvangirai, saying Western governments could “go hang” themselves.

Before Mugabe’s security forces rounded up dozens of senior activists trying to attend a mass prayer meeting last Sunday, the Opposition was riven by division within its ranks, but recent events have served to unite the feuding parties.

“The core business is to defeat and drive out of town the regime of Robert Mugabe,” said Arthur Mutambara, leader of a rival MDC faction.

Meanwhile, three Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries charged with dealing with Zimbabwe – Tanzania, Namibia and Lesotho – are planning to meet on March 26 and 27 in Dar es Salaam to help find a solution to the crisis in the country.

This comes a day after talks with Mugabe that Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete hailed as a “great success”.

The region’s leaders have acknowledged the dangers they face from the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, where inflation stands at 1,730 per cent and unemployment at 80 per cent, but they have been reluctant to speak out.

International Monetary Fund head Rodrigio de Rato yesterday warned that the situation in Zimbabwe would make it even harder for the country to reverse its economic collapse.

“Political situations, if they are extreme, can affect economic performance,” Rato told reporters in Cape Town.

“Up to now the Government has not followed our advice. And the recent political developments are not helping in that respect.”

Analysts have warned a bigger threat to Mugabe comes not from the MDC but within the ranks of his own ZANU-PF party which had been expecting him to stand down at the 2008 elections.

Comments in a weekend interview that he hoped to stand for another six-year term further inflamed an already volatile situation.

There was a show of support yesterday from his deputy president Joyce Mujuru, whom Mugabe had formerly annointed as his successor.

In comments published by the state-run Herald newspaper, Mujuru defended the use of force to deal with revolts against the Government.

“There is need to reaffirm the position of the party to successfully deal with such insurgencies to safeguard the gains of our hard-won independence,” she said.