all the educated people who could help change the country are all abroad, the people who are back home are far too busy putting food on their table.its time the millions of us who are abroad start making a difference .

pam, LEICESTER, UK

The problem in Zimbabwe is the same problem as many African nations. Power has been afforded to despots and murderers with a cloak of democracy and freedom. When in reality the elections are always rigged by former colonial powers, wanting to put in a trade/politically favourable leader.

Steve, Telford,

South Africa led by a lame duck president would never stand up and put off the lights in Zimbabwe.

Toni Falletisch, Cape Town, RSA

Dear Ezhi Opfu, no white supremacists want to invade Zimbabwe. Nobody wants to invade Zimbabwe - not even George Bush because it has absolutely nothing to offer. Robert Mugabe has raped and pillaged his own country. All we are trying to do is help the poor innocents.

Olivia Thompson, South Africa, Cape Town

Dear John Iteshi. And who is feeding the starving Zimbabweans? Nobody! Not Robert Hugabe or the humanitarian organisations because he won't let them. He sent them packing, remember? Zim cannot feed itself. And as for a reconstruction programme it would be pouring money into another bottomless pit.

Olivia Thompson, South Africa, Cape Town

Mugabe is simply the most visible, and risible, of the many thugs currently ruling African nations. And there is no "international community", only individual nations, pursuing what is perceived by their rulers as their own narrow interests.

Dennis Eagan, Colorado Springs, USA

Mad dogs have to be killed - but doing this is the privilege and duty of the people they menace, and in no way ours. The remedy lies in the hands, the trigger fingers, of Zimbabweans. Leave it to them. Interfering - 'helping' - is a surefire recipe for disaster.

Noel Falconer MEcon, COUIZA, France

Dave from Norwich. You cannot simply dismiss a case for western aid/responsibility with the unfounded rhetoric of a daily mail coloumnist. In that '200 years' - the Europeans were Imperialists and the legacy of colonialism calls for a shared responsibility.

AS, london,

Ran, what planet are you living on? Mugabe caused the economic chaos in Zimbabwe. If people are dependent on your patronage, they will ensure you remain in power. Mugabe is a monster and is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Zimbabweans - not the western media. Power is all.

Em, Shrewsbury, UK

David, Norwich,
My miserable people can only become like your people if good white people like you stop trying too hard to help us. The only way to truly believe in race equality is to allow Black people sort themselves out! Stop meddling stop charitising us. Start criticising our failures!

John Iteshi, London, UK

White supremacists are looking for any excuse to justify invading Zimbabwe all in their bid to take their beautiful lands. All you can do if you think you are truly not a White supremacist is take your eyes off Zimbabwe, for only white racists should be crying about Zimbabwe more than Zimbabweans!!

Ezhi Opfu, London, UK

Most white liberals happen to be white supremacist because they pretend that White people are naturally responsible for the welfare of Black people!
Peter Hain appears to be a liberal believer in race equality who believes that Black people (Zimbabweans) cannot feed themselves without white farmers

John Iteshi, London, UK

"The West should offer a reconstruction program"

I certainly hope not! Surely we have sunk enough of our wealth into that God-forsaken continent. If the Africans want to raise their living standards, they should do what Europeans/Americans have done for the past 200 years - that is, work for it

David, Norwich,

What matters before anything else is the safety of poor, suffering, nameless individuals in the Zimbabwean population. This has so obviously been the case over the years, with the Matebeleland atrocities as an appalling example. SA should mobilise its idle army and set it on the border.

David Merrington, Cape Town, South Africa

"A beautiful and hospitable land....highest standards of education in Africa....good infrastructure...strong economy." As administered by Ian Smith! You wanted that overthrown. Are you sadder and wiser now?

David, Bromley,

Yes Peter Hain - and what about a reply to my letter about Mugabe which you never replied to a few years back !!!!!

ian payne, walsall,

"A united international community must insist-----".What a brilliant solution to the Mugabe problem.I wonder why nobody else thought of this easy remedy!
Still it probably represents the level of the writer's contributions in general as an M.P..

colin, Hong Kong,

To put it politely Mugabe clearly suffers from mental health issues and is a dangerous lunatic who cannot be reasoned with! he should be exterminated!

Ray, Pangbourne,

Come on, folks, go ahead and blame President Bush; you know you want to.

Mack Hall, Kirbyville, Texas

Mugabe is probably demonised by the western medias. The solution is not to remove him but to help him cope with the economic troubles in Zimbabwe firstly considering those suffering. Bashing him can only result in a resilience from Mugabe and his supporters with nothing else.

Ran, York, UK

Hain didn't have much to say on the subject of Mugabe in public when he was on the front benches. If he is so keen to spike Mugabe's guns now, he, as a "son of Africa" should return to that continent and use his influence on his mate Mbeki topple Mugabe. No need to hurry back!

Callan, Liverpool, England

I doubt very much if we are ever going to see Thabo Mbeki take a stand against mugabe. The events of the last few months have shown that he is doing everything he can to keep him in power.He puts on one face when talking to the west ,and then he has a laugh about it with mugabe.

Tony, London, United Kingdom

We saw what Mugabe did to the Matebele, torture, rape, beatings, the systematic anihalation. Read Pol Pots story, the stories are so similar.

Maggi, NSW, Australia

You have now reaped what you have sown- at the expense of around 30,000 innocent lives, a starving nation and an imminent humanitarian disaster.

Jez W, Leeds,

The international community has already acted. They (including you) threw out the government of Rhodesia, who opressed those tho tried to violently overthrow the government.

Great Britain and US President Jimmy Carter not only pushed one man/one vote on Zimbabwe, but also forced on them Mugabe

Jim, Memphis, USA