Comments such as those made by Brian Deller are indicative of exactly what is wrong with Africa today: pessimism. They represent an entirely ignorant, disillusioned outlook.

The problems that plague Africa have nothing to do with race and, whilst racism is still present in some spheres, it is incorrect and short-sighted to blame the current issues on colonialism and race.

Mr Deller's comments on South Africa do not reflect the reality of the situation. Having lived in South Africa for 20 years, I can say without reservation that it is a vibrant and dynamic place to be. South Africa has a secure and stable democracy and so cannot follow Zimbabwe's example. The land redistribution that is taking place is an attempt to correct 50 years of oppression and inequality. More importantly, it takes place within a legitimate and secure bureaucratic framework.

Marco de Sousa, London, UK

Mugabe has brought Zimbabwe down to its knees. the country is in a state of total economic collapse. its so easy for people in developed countries to say leave the africans to their own fights wen to be quite honest some of the problems wre caused by them in the first place. the people in zimbabwe need serious help and Mr Blair should understand that at this moment zimbabweans will accept any form of help. Mbeki cannot do anything. his hands are tied because he believes that south africa owes zimbabwe for helping them with their apatheid problem over a decade ago. all i can say is its time to get over that and satrt thinkin about the people of zimbabwe and the people of his country too. his economy is already starting to shows sings of strain because of all the zim refugees. its time he weans the leech that is mugabe and his regime and satrts to fight to help rebuild the country.

chamzz, manchester, uk

Zimbabwe's demise has been hastened by the inability of the Old Boy's struggle club to break ranks & actually criticise each other!

That infamous club have not made the leap from struggle politics to democracy & have (across much of Africa) reduced thriving countries to begging baskets in a few greedy swoops on the colonial cookie jars.

Blair's government have held back due to post-colonial guilt & the usual loud mouths like Peter Hain have been remarkably silent.

Hain et al spent so much time protesting prior to the handing over a once efficient Rhodesia to terrorists with a bloody history, that they never once stopped to wonder about those who came to power by the bullet!

Ishe Komborera Zimbabwe - God bless Zimbabwe because no one else will

Dee, Midlands,

Bill and Warren - my apologies if you didn't get the gist of my earlier comment, I didn't think it could be dripping in more sarcasm if I tried. But I reiterate - with a collapsing economy, starving villagers and mass population flight, Robert Mugabe has shown just what a strong centralised government and command economics will do to a country. The lessons that the Soviet Block and the hard Left taught us last century are sadly being writ large again in Zimbabwe.

Andrew Brown, London, UK

Racist comments like those from Brian Deller above will will just about make Mugabe a saint. We are sick and tired of reckless comments whose purpose is to divide people on racial lines.

george hove, Hararw, zimbabwe

How can Tony Blair say that it is an issue for Africa to solve when he intervened in Sierra Leonne and of course IRAQ

N Jones, Edinburgh,

Andrew Brown: No need to worry about the Anglos in Africa any more. China has already bought it whilst you were wringing your hands in the other direction.

Warren, Shanghai,

As someone who lived in southern Africa for 25 years, in my opinion we have two choices. Leave Africa alone to get its act together, but this means that with the terrible racism against the whites, Indians and mixed races, they must be offered asylum in countries in the West.. Remember that most of these people are responsible for the economic well-being of the area and South Africa is now moving inexorably to follow Zim. with its move now to get white farmers off their farms. In SA, the unemployment rate is 40% and with serious violent crime a daily hazard for those who have no bodyguards and as published in the Press there, corruption exists at at all levels of govt.. As far as Zim is concerned if Harold Wilson's Labour govt. had had the guts to do the right thing and help Ian Smith kick out the few terrorists of which Mugabe was one, Rhodesia/Zim would still be a wealthy and happy country.

Brian Deller, Marbella, Spain

Sir,
We must do something to liberate the poor suffering people of Darfur, and their o-i-l.

SC, London, United Kingdom

Europe grew from being a tribalist battleground into a so-called democratized region. No-one took it upon themselves to try and cleanse the region of the localized hostilities that brewed and boiled over time and time again. It took time, a lot of pain, a lot of worry and a lot of work, but eventually the region got where it wanted to be. I strongly urge all those now in Europe and in the West in general to leave Africa alone; is it not enough that the resources that have been extracted from Africa (whether through colonialist business ventures or dodgy post-colonial ties) will never be properly declared or returned? What would England be without most of it's coal? What would Russia be without its oil, gas and diamonds?

People tend to forget that these things are currently potentially the foundation of a new Africa - robbing the continent of its precious resources and then calling Africans unproductive is typical of only one thing - Hypocrisy, and that has to STOP!!!

Johnny Mukaranga, Sutton, UK

Africa should be left to evolve the way that Europe has done
over hundreds of years. We, too, had all the problems that they are having now and had to advance slowly without do-gooders and politicians intervening. It is the peoples of Africa alone who can change their own fate.

Hag Smith, Carlisle,

Agree with most peo here but Andrew Brown ..which planet are you from ?

Bill Walken, London, UK

Like most people in the UK I don't give a damn for Zimbabwe and most of the other african countries. We have enough problems of our own on this tiny overcrowded island. Tell the africans to sort out their own problems. In the world of today nobody owes them anything.

Alan Tamlyn, Cardiff,

In reply to Zvokwekwe - you are absolutely right, the last thing Zimbabwe needs is more interference from "white anglos" - after all, look at the mess they made of the country before. Robert Mugabe has shown the world just the kind of success strong, centralised government and command economics can bring about in a poor country, and as such his lesson will be invaluable for Africa for a generation or more.

Andrew Brown, London, UK

The same as the rights of your citizens in the UK is out of your reach? I think, "Stan" in Texas, you'd hear more applause from the left if Blair actually did something in Zimbabwe rather than just shouting his mouth off ineffectually.

I believe that Paul Smith has hit the nail right on the head. Zimbabwe simply isn't profitable enough for Blair and his lackies to do anything about. He'd prefer it if it was Nigeria, or possibly Botswana, that needed a lesson, at least there he has the oil to slaver over. Be realistic, why did he want to intervene in Sierra Leone? So I could get a suntan? It was the money on offer stupid. That is why you will never see action by Blair over Zimbabwe, or North Korea, or Palestine. It won't make him or his buddies any money.

The people of Zimbabwe do not need more empty words, which Blair is very good at delivering, trust me, I live in the UK. They need solid help with the problem of Mugabe. Help which will not be forthcoming from our tit-for-tat PM.

Jennifer Hynes, Plymouth, England

The UK and the US can do little directly, can you imagine the howls from the left if either intervened militarily in Zimbabwe, the cries of "Colonialism" would be deafening in the UN, especially from African countries !

Stan(expat), Texas, USA

Finally, PM Blair admits failure of his policy to ousta President Mugabe or even change things in Zimbabwe. He was successful with the war of words with Mugabe and even that he lost. As usual white anglos now want to blame President Mbeki, who has to deal with two MDC parties, not one. If Mbeki can unite them, that in itself is success. I doubt whether Blair or Mbeki or sanctions will change Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans do not buy into demonizing their leader Robert Mugabe or do they listern to UK for change. Change will come within

Zvokwekwe, New York, USA

Is it not strange how this country and the United States was willing to invade and occupy a sovereign nation on the basis of crimes against its own citizens. There was of course the falsified evidence of "weapons of mass distruction", but we were told the war was realy to liberate the people from a monster.
Well, in Zimbabwe, a true megalamaniac monster and his cronies are destroying a country and its people. They pursue a policy of ethnic cleansing against white Zimbabweans and foreign residents (including British nationals), and are guilty of some of the worst human rights abuses in Africa. All this and the systematic suppression of democratic opposition through torture and violence. Yet Tony Blair and his buddy George W Bush do nothing, save bandy around the same tired rhetoric that even Chamberlain would be ashamed of. Of course, Mugabe isn't threatening the US's oil supplies and invasion won't bring about lucrative reconstruction contracts for US companies. A possible answer?

Paul Smith, Lyon,

If Mr Blair was truly concerned by the situation in zimbabwe he could have at least met Zim refugees in South Africa to gather first hand information about their plight at the G8 summit in order to make a formadible plea for an immidiate International intervention to avoid a looming disaster in Zimbabwe.

austin jangaza, portsmouth, england