DAR ES SALAAM, May 31 -- THERE is an old African belief that if a visitor stays long enough in your house, eventually he stops asking for permission before opening the refrigerator. The same principle applies to elephants.

If an elephant wanders into your sitting room and you spend several years politely pretending not to notice it because you are worried about offending it, eventually the elephant develops confidence.

It begins rearranging the furniture according to its personal taste, invites relatives from neighbouring districts, occupies the best sofa in the house, and before long is conducting family meetings while the actual owners stand nervously in the corner pretending everything is perfectly normal.

This, unfortunately, is pr...