sorry, tawanda, it doesnt make sense what you are saying. of the 22000 brits living in zim, many of them were born there - so it is not a question of "returning" to britain. why is you being in luton another matter? anyway, dont feel sorry for the brits in zim if you dont want to, but be sorry about the millions of your countrymen that mugabe is starving to death - or are you going to invite them all to luton?

Jennifer, kamilari, Greece

Where are all those British Nationals going to go? How many will come 'home' to the UK and where will they be housed?

Would it be more cost effective to send forces in and topple/replace the government and remake a wealthy african nation again? I know Brit forces couldn't do it, it would have to be african forces. Who is going to get there first? S.Africans? Zaire forces? Mozambique rebels looking for a new home to leech and destroy?

Zimbabwe is not the place I lived in between '84 and '86 anymore. It is a prize no one will want with its starving people and high Aids infection. Eventually it will look like another Ethiopia.

TimD, York, England

Truth maybe blamed but can not be ashamed. The people of Zimbabwe wants the assets that were looted during the colonial era. Being in Luton is another matter thus my choice but Zimbabwe is where belong and why there are still 22000 britons in Zimbabwe, what are they still doing there if Zimbabwe is bad. People often contradict themselves when in comes to democracy. It`s simply my democratic right to live in Luton at the moment but if I am no longer well come because of my views about my Zimbabwe then I will leave. The Britons in Zimbabwe will have to leave my country as well. I am sure this makes sense to you critic.

Tawanda, Luton, UK

why is tawanda living in luton uk if zim is so good?

bill smith, cheshire,

Zimbabwe today, South Africa tomorrow.

Duncald, Melbourne,

Tawanda you haven't been reading the news haven't you?

Chris Wilson, Portland,OR,

White people enjiyed their time in Zimbabwe it`s over now thus why they made a lot of noise. Mugabe`s greatest acheivement was to reclaim land and give it to the rightful owners. 11 million hactares of fertile soils were given back to the blacks, what an achievement. Let failure and success take it`s course, no matter how louder Britain make it`s case against Zimbabwe, Africa will not listen. Not all the 22000 Britons will want to come to UK because they know Zimbabwe is full of milk and honey. Very soon black people will enjoy the fruits of Zimbabwe.

Tawanda, Luton, UK

The British Govt talks about getting Brits out of Zimbabwe, but it is a bit difficult for those pensioners who can't afford to renew their British passports as the High Commission uses an exchange rate of $3,000,000 to £1.00 when the official rate is Z$496.00:£1.00!! I thought that British was supposed to help its citizens not keep them in a hell hole!

Hazel Gardner, Bedford,

Zimbabwe situation is now irretrivable - lets be clear about that.

The more serious portent is that given by the SADC leaders. By endorsing Mugabes muderous rule and his disastorous economic policies they are telling us what the future of SADC will be. Compare these dangerous clowns to their counterparts in Asia where, with the notable exception of Burma, governace is improving economic conditions everywhere.

Africa is now in a death spiral. Draw what ethnic/demographic conclusions that you will, but ensure that no more aid , humanitarian or otherwise should be directed at any SADC country.

Peter, Singapore,

the west can fool some people sometime,but they cant fool all the people all the time,Africa has been taken for granted much too long so apparently the veil has been removed from off its eyes and they now know the real and the fake.Stop removing the speck out of Mugabe's eyes when there are logs in your own eyes,Mugabe is protecting his country form the parasites who suck the blood of AFRICA. JAH lives the day draw nigh.....


"If all that gliters is gold ,then half the story has never been told."

kunta kinte, joburg, S.A

Your propoganda about Mugabe is evil. This man moved his own tribal people out of the tin can ghettos created by colonial rule and has such a hard hill to climb to make things fair. I know my comments won't hinder you, but instead of just reading with discuss, I need to let you know there are more than you can number of us who are not blind, deaf nor dumb!!!! You can note that by the response in Lusaka for the two-day summit of leaders of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community. Your words that used to cut like a sword are becoming dull.

Carolyn Brown, mcdonough, georgia

Mbeki will never get rid of Mugabe. It's not in his interest. Next year, come hell or blue murder, ZANU PF will win the elections. The people of Zimbabwe will vote for the person that's ruined their country.

If by chance the opposition should win, Mugabe would either declare the voting rigged and stay president or he'll runaway to South Africa where he'll be welcomed with open arms and be regarded as a hero. And if the new Zimbabwe government asked to take Mugabe to court for crimes commited etc., the SA government will just turn around and give him diplomatic immunity. Mbeki will make sure of that.

South Africa is also going to the dogs. Crime is rife, rape is uncontrollable and the so-called first world government(ANC) sits back and does nothing while milking all it can into the doomed World Cup in 2010.

Rather stay at home and watch it on TV than come here.

World Cup BWHAHA, Johannesburg, South Africa

To John Iteshi, London, UK
It's your right to agree with us or not but the fact is black Africa without those described by you as "white supremacists" is doomed by all accounts. Get up from your armchair and leave London for a while to see the truth.

Egor, Moscow,

Why do the British nationals need to be evacuated at the British taxpayer's expense when there are still flights out of Harare as we speak to any part of the globe? They are certainly not hindered from leaving Zimbabwe and still have freedom of movement. Given that the situation is as bad as it is why aren't they leaving? Is it a question of vested interests in Zimbabwe? Surely they must be benefiting from the current chaos for them to make the decision to "stick it out." If things are so bad why is the govt sending back poor asylum seekers to Zimbabwe! Double standards or what?

In response to people who have argued that Zimbabweans would welcome back the colonialists I think such arguments are racist and baseless. Nothing is as valuable as a nation's sovereignty - make no mistake about it Zimbabweans would never welcome colonialism and any form of rule which undermines their independence. Colonial rule was just as bad as Mugabe's rule because it served the interest of a minority.

shepard, derby, united kingdom

why the british are much more concern about ZIMBABWEANS coming into south africa,than south african themselves?
is south africa overseas province of Queen Elizabeth?

ngoy, columbus,, ohio,usa

Mugabe is indeed a vile dictator, and the other African leaders should indeed be ashamed of their loud support of him. However it is equally nauseating to see the likes of Nigel Hamley and BJ Deller trying to now justify the rascist regime of Ian Smith. The Zimbabweans are fully entitled to democracy, just as we in the west are. They are also fully entitled to vote for Mugabe. In my view they have made a huge mistake, but it's their mistake to make. The fact that Mugabe has brutalised and ruined a country that once had such potential cannot in any way retrospectively legitimise white rule of Rhodesia.

Peter Roycroft, Dublin, Ireland

Analysis of this so-called plan will prove that it is a non-starter.
It requires 22 000 to take to the roads for a 1000+km journey.
What are they supposed to use for FUEL?
Have the boffins who made this plan seen the state of Zimbabwean vehicles? Or, for that matter, the roads?
Have they considered the effect of police roadblocks/paramilitary action to halt this exodus? And once in SA - how many jets will it take to airlift 22 000 people...(your averge Jumbo jet carries 480 souls - round it up to 500, that 44 000 flights taking off - and landing in the UK! What impact on UK - to land, provide transport, housing, and as one imagines every neccesity these folks have)

More hot air and nonsense - this is not going to happen as getting them out without the aid of UN or British peacekeepers is extremely unlikely, given the Mugabe Regimes feelings about the "coddled" British whites that live there.

Kim Lepper, Cheshire,

Incredible - Zimbabwe was once one of the wealthiest nations in Africa before being given to Mugabe. Now it's the worst economy in the world and will no doubt on his death spend 50 years in civil war, complete with UN peace keepers and humanitarian crisis.

Africa is a joke - almost every country over there is ripped apart by civil war, tribal rivalries and corrupt government.

Meanwhile the UK and west pour billions in loans, aid and relief work every year - most of which ends up in the hands of those who have ruined it in the first place.

I feel sorry for the "average" person out there but they wanted the colonials gone to govern for themselves and look how it has turned out.

Shame no-one in any government or the UK media has the guts to say you wanted independence, you wanted freedom from British "tyranny", stand on your own two feet and don't expect us to bail you out.

A Cook, Glouceser, UK

Nigel of New York..what they will be mate is passport holders...Not exactly Brititsh people...but passport holders . We'll probably go through the same routine as we did with the Ugandans when that other fat funny man..Idi Amin who also ruined his country...kicked out all British passport holders..and most of them were of Asian majority. Thankfully they were all hard working people so this country benefitted. Have you noticed though that they always hold British passports..Just shows that no matter what our faults...people always wanna come back to the UK.

kirk, Rotherham, UK

Who is this Robert Mugabe? Isnt he just another monster created by the West? The same West created Osama bin Laden Sadam Hussein, Mobutu sese Seko, Idi Amini just to name but a few. These creatures were clearly not wanted by their own people at one time but the West turned a blind eye and used to call them Heroes, they massacared and tortured their own people while leaders in the West continued to wine and Dine with them.

In Mugabe's case he butchered 20 000 Ndebele people and was awarded with a knighthood. Even the great Nelson Mandela does not have such an honour ! I honestly do not understand how this works!

George Hove, Harare, zimbabwe

Odd that MOD/Government is now willing to go into the country to get out British passport holders, when only 3 or 4 years ago not one of the Rhodesian / British farmers being driven from their land could get any assistance from British Government.....
Maybe I’m getting a little confused, but didn’t the British Government of the day actively encourage British Citizens to go to Rhodesia.

Simon, Cape Town,

Was Rwanda not enough of an atrocity? How many more places are going to fall before the rest of the world shows concern? Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, West Sahara... What are our pathetic politicians waiting for? Oil, perhaps?

John Lynch, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America

Africa is descending back into dark tribalism and I for one don't see why the UK should pump huge amounts of money into countries which then rub our metaphorical nose in the dirt by supporting a creature like Mugabe.

We should let Africa get on with it's life, stop quaking about human rights and the like, because the your average African has never heard of human rights. Use the money, (£6,500,000,000 in International Aid for 2007/8), in the UK for the care of the elderly and hospices.

Nigel Graham-Miller, Valencia, Spain

That decision by the British gvt will expose their short comings and interests to their next of kin only.They are part of the problem in Zimbabwe.Yes Mugabe might be a bad leader but lets look back at the Lancaster Agreement (1979),can Britain do more to owner its promise?It should be the last one to talk of evacuating its citizens.What of us black Zimbabweans suffering under his oppressive regime?You don't care?You want a full scale war for you to intervene?

Takudzwa Mutepfa,Harare,Zimbabwe

Takudzwa Mutepfa, Harare, zimbabwe

Paraphrasing Joseph de Maistre, I'd say Africa deserves the goverments it has. It's doomed and not worth saving. No one is going to impose colonialism on it again, even for the sake of Africans. As the old Indian proverb goes, you can never enter the same river twice. Africa must help itself first. It's not a good idea to impose democracy from outside. Somewhere you success, somewhere you fail. It's all about the local people. If they don't not want to help themselves, no one can help them.

cyberstranger, St. Pete,

Get our own out, and leave the africans to their own devices.

Enough is enough- we built a high functioning society there, and they completely destroyed all civilisation in a couple years..unbelievable!

Let Bono and crew go solve the SELF-CREATED problems of africa on their OWN now, no more giveaways from europeans...

Actually, we need to do more than take back our OWN past immigrants, who once made Rhodesia such a runaway success in a continent of poverty, we need a population exchange to repatriate theirs as well...

Francis Townshend, Bangor, USA Maine

I wish to correct the misconception that Mugabe is a racist. His policies and actions have one aim only - to remain in power at all costs. An analysis of his personality will show that he lacks the capacity to form meaningful, emotional human relationships. He will scapegoat, blame and attack anyone regardless of race if it will keep him in power. Western media most often reports the attacks on whites but blacks too are targeted and are suffering. 'Mugarbage' will never step down from power and will only revert to democracy if he thinks it will keep him in power. Shame on Mbeki and his 'laager' of confused 'African leaders'. As for the evacuation of Britons, it'snot necessary. There will never be a bloody uprising in Zimbabwe - that is not withing the people's nature or it would have happened long ago and now they're too scared and hungry to fight. What's needed is an international force to go in and forcibly remove this hateful despot for humanit & Africans - black or whte!

Craig, UK, London

Thanks to Southern African leaders for refusing to be bullied by white supremacists against Mugabe. Like I have always maintained, any White person who began loving the Black race since Mugabe sacked some white farmers who colonised the juiciest lands in Zimbabwe, is naturally a white supremacist! I do not think it is evil per se, to be a white supremacist, but all I am saying is that our superior white masters of Britain and USA should be good masters by setting the same standards for all Black societies. What is good for Zimbabweans must also be good for the Sudanese, Nigerians and other Black people languishing elsewhere! No enlightened black person would dispute the fact that we have failed as a people, but we must not agree with the white supremacists that we should never try to succeed on our own!

John Iteshi, London, UK

Where are Harold Wilson and Lord Carrington when you need them? What a huge, huge tragedy. A ruined country with starving people who have no hope & no work. It will take genrations to rebuild Zimbabwe. Mugabe lives in the biggest house in Africa and drives a spanking new armoured Mercedes that is so heavy on gas, a fuel tanker is in the entourage. God protect us from well intentioned politicians.

GK, Calgary, Canada

Where is Bono?

S. Shick, Indianapolis, USA

Don't say you weren't warned.

m wilson, bidache, france

In Africa's eye's Mugabe is seen to be the hero and will continue to be supported and protected by all within the African Union. His legacy and that of Zanu-PF will be that ' they fought for liberation and the land and they got it '.

Regardless of how many Zimbabweans both black and white continue to suffer or are beaten, tortured, illegally imprisioned and or are murdered with the consent and collusion of Mugabe and Zanu-PF, their aims and objectives would have been achieved.

They removed the white oppressors and that day will be marked on Zanu-PF's Anniversary. Zanu-PF was founded on the 8th August 1963 and it is they who will claim victory in the history books.

Ah, but they will not want the world to know that Zimbabwe is being taken over, colonized, owned, controlled and run by Mugabe's past allies, amongst them, China. They will not want the world to know that Zimbabwe, 'once the bread basket of Africa' is now in ruins with land given to Magabe's henchmen.

Albert Weidemann, Ripon, North Yorkshire, England

The MOD are 'working' on plans ? Hmmm. Shame none of their plans ever work ! Sounds like an automatic response to a question they were not expecting to be asked.

CJ, Hereford, UK

Rather than addressing the symptom of the problem of helping 22,000 British passport holders, surely the FCO mandarins & MOD commanders should better spend their time addressing the root cause of the problem and help 14 million people? Sierra Leone presents them with an interesting military precedence. The Grameen small credit bank success presents them with an economic precedence (for the sustainable lifting of millions out of poverty without aid). Cutting all aid to SADC countries would be a great start, as it is clearly driving these inadmissable behaviours in a 'brotherhood of tyranny', Of course all at the expense of long suffering poor Africans, and hard working taxpayers in the West. There is little to show for these billions in aid, except a perpetuation of a culture of dependency, a blame for colonial era oppression and the decadence of 'party chefs' where their idea of public service is for the public to serve them.

C Brown, London, UK

Just another brief note. Will the 3 million Zimbabweans be safe in South Africa? Mbeki seems to have taken a liking to Mugabe!

Rod Barker, Gainsborough, England U.K.

This purported evacuation of Brits in Zimbabwe will reinforce the idea that Africa is only for Africans and will cause problems for Africans abroad let alone more problems which Africans inflict on each.
Africans suffer from an inferiority complex. With examples of leadership such as that of Mugabe, that complex is justified. They know no other way but to react childishly to the white man by singing , dancing and howling with glee when they see one of theirs "sticking two fingers up to the West."
Africans outside of Zimbabwe,readily give this man the adulation he has always craved from white men but when white men withold their admiration due to mismanagement and kleptocracy, he reacts with fury. Mugabe has a spoiled brat mentality and tantrums that go with that.
Black Zimbabweans are unlikely to turn on the remaining Brits who have struggled along with them. They know very well who has been trouble for them and surprisingly! he doesn't have a British passport.

Once again, Chexbres, Switzerland

Climate change is primarily due to ever-increasing human activity. Ever-increasing human activity is the result of population growth. Population growth of the world is probably concentrated in Africa. So before environmentalists scream at us and barricade Heathrow, please study Africa first. Before western governmentd pour our hard-earned money into Afirica, look at how these African leaders behave.

James Wong, Macau,

So, what remains of the people in Zimbabwe can expect to continue to have the lifeblood of their country drained by the vampire Mugabe, who in two decades has reduced the country to a basket case.

What the western governments forget is that it is no good giving aid to the government in most African countries, as it just ends up in the Swiss banks accounts of the ruling class. Village level aid such as water wells, basic hygiene, schooling and impartial local government would be far more effective. As far as ideology is concerned, it should be consigned to the dustbin of history.

What is needed is to replace the current leader in Zimbabwe with ones who will govern in the interests of the country, but unfortunately the west lacks the moral fibre to do what is necessary in Zimbabwe and a few other African countries.

So the ordinary people of Africa can expect their vampire like leaders to continue to bleed them dry.

Richard Brown, London, UK

I'd love to know how the RAF is going to airlift that many people out, when the transport fleet is grounded due to lack of airworthy aircraft. The RAF is in a bad way, am surprised to this day more investment hasn't been made in US made transport/ cargo aircraft for the RAF, like the C17.
But hey, what do i know?

james, london,

What is the govt doing to ensure that WW2 veterans and other people in their eighties and nineties can be rescued and what plans are in place to help them if they do leave Zimbabwe.

ITN a while back showed many were really struggling out there with their pensions worthless because of hyper infltion.

Jon, Northumberland, UK

Unbelievable that only now is the government making even the vaguest attempt to help its nationals stuck in the now long established hell hole (if press reports and pictures can be believed) of a once prosperous and secure Zimbabwe. Could this be that these nationals are mainly white? Perhaps the government and its coherts feel there is no room for them in the UK?

helen, Norwich,

I remember well how the left wing politicians and agitators in the UK supported Robert Mugabe's rise to power. I suggest we send Tony Benn (who publicly spoke in favour of this tyrant) to Zimbabwe to sort it out, and let him stay there until he does.

Steve B, Birmingham,

It's becoming more and more apparent that Africa is not worth saving

Michael, Johannesburg, South Africa

Let's have a vote, if you dare. Who is the better leader of Zimbabwe, Ian Smith or Robert Mugabe? Yep, I thought you would avoid the question.

Paul Francis, Brisbane, Australia

Gentlemen, as much as I empathise with the plight of Africans under African rule, do not be so ignorant as to wish colonialism back on them. It's as ignorant as saying African Americans were better off under SLAVERY because the USA economy was better relative to today. Nonsense, I tell you, nonsense!!! The majority were not happy, I know because I was among the majority under colonialism. There was electricity in the cities and towns... except that if you switched your TV and lights on simultaneously while in Mbare, the switch tripped. Schools for blacks were underfunded. And the 'Right of entry reserved' I think you should shove that recolonialisation statement..
Allow Africa to grow. Allow Africa to learn. Give democracy a chance. Whose democracy? Let Zimbabwe decide at the polls. Military action on Zim = Iraq 2. How long will the Prez live? I do not know... however, I know that a war in Zim will outlast and outkill even Idi Amin. It costs more to fight than to feed and build.

Rev. Dube, Hatfield, UK

@Peter Harris,
Glad to see somebody begging the question of why democracies seem to work so rarely. West of the pond, our illustrious leaders either forgot or never had a clue that we had one advantage for starting a democracy that Iraqis and Africans lack - a cultural background that included several centuries of British common law and parliament. Cannot succeed without the right culture it seems (ignoring the greater question of whether or not democracy still exists over here).

Jeffrey Hatcher, Reading MA, USA

to Michelle, Durban
Unfortunately, these chatterboxes, I mean the "anti-apartheid activists", keep silent because they have nothing to say. Most of them are in power and they turn a blind eye on what's going on there. They are all busy with pocketing money and wealth from their own people. These "anti-apartheid activists" and "fighters for freedom of the black people" have shown their true colours.

Egor, Moscow, Russia

Ian Smith is vindicated! He predicted chaos in 1984 should Mugabe take the helm in Zimbabwe. How right he was! Let's hope that Brown has more courage than Blair and takes active and positive steps regarding Mugabe's awful regime

Richard, Johannesburg, South Africa

What was the bread basket of Africa now in ruins! Only a couple of years ago we heard of the need for increased governance in Africa, which would then start the long road to economic efficiency in that continent. What has happened?
This has happened over so many years since the 2nd war in almost all of sub saharan Africa. Tragic! A waste of so much resource and delightful (by and large) people!

andrew, LONDON,

From the bread basket of Africa to basket case. Mugabe is a corrupt despot and a criminal of the worst kind and yet the world choses to remain blind and impotent. At which point is enought, enough? Wake up and let justice and humanity be served. Shame on you.

David Fowlds, melbourne, australia

Weep for Zimbabwe.... weep for Africa.

The Old Vermonter, Vermont, USA

One shudders to think how the SADC leaders would have received "Mugabe" if he was white. There is no question that
that the hypocrisy of these leaders leaves the Western World
Leaders shaking their heads and disbelief and must be wondering how much longer they can be throwing good money after bad.

Russell Mather, Durban, South Africa

Its time to bring back the Empire - re-establish colonial control in Zimbabwe; you can bet almost all the money in the world, that the poor and abused population in that beautiful country would rejoice at the prospect of control, stability and a resurrection in their economic prospects. Just as the people in Sierra Leone hailed the arrival of British troops with shouts of 'we welcome our colonial masters'; the arrival of the British in Zimbabwe would be hailed with a similiar greeting.

Tom Martin, London, UK

How much longer can the world turn a blind eye to the rape of a country and its people who used to live in a very healthy and safe environment .

What does the world do stand by and watch for the disaster that Mugabe has caused to get even worse ??

John Bingham, Boca Raton , Florida USA

I cannot believe that Zimbabwe loves Mugabe! He has ruined Zimbabwe. I cannot believe that he is not senile: his actions do not suggest to me that he is in full control of his faculties. He seems to be living in a fantasy world.

I suppose that because he sees life from his affluent position he shuts out reality?

Leave them to it. If Zimbabwe loves this man, let him ruin them. Any British people still living in Zimbabwe are crazy.

Chris, Suffolk, UK

The white Zimbabwens that have ended up in this country already are being refused work permits by our Government.
We have a 25 year old that would like to work here but because of our Home Office refusal is not allowed to. His father can but he cannot.
His only action it seems is to get married over here.

Alan Rose, Southampton, ENGLAND

Maybe Lord Carrington would like to partake in the Singing and Dancing.

Joe Moor, London, UK

What in God's name are those British nationals still doing there?

GET OUT PEOPLE, GET OUT NOW BEFORE THE RIOTS START!

Nigel Stockbridge, New York, New York

Have any arrangements been made to rescue the
many thousands of Britons, who live in the ghettos of
cime, violence, drugs and racial tension, which exist
in most British cities.

JMck, Wgtn.,

This is strange. There are no street demonstrations by the left or the right or the middle parties anywhere in the world! I wonder why???

P Koloszar, Waitakere, New Zealand

I wonder where all the anti-apartheid activists are now. Why are they not voicing any opposition to what is happening in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Where are all the liberals who denounced white rule - black people in both countries had a better quality of life when whites were running the country - very politically incorrect but true. . It would be very interesting to hear what these people have to say - they have been very silent.

michelle, durban,

Marvellous...absolutely marvellous. We're fighting two conflicts...we're short of manpower, equipment and to be honest ..more than a little leadership. Now we're thinking of evacuating 22,000 passport holders. Got what he wanted hasn't he that funny little man with a silly moustache!...

kirk, Rotherham, UK

"Southern African Development Community" - joke.

non so blind as those who will not see - i say let em all rot, and don't waste another penny there.

africa is a begging bowl basket case and always will be.

rob, romford, essex

I recently moved back to South Africa from the UK, and I am astounded by the number of Zimbabweans here, 3 million is not even close. Most of these people are illegal immigrants who are targeted by the SAP for bribes, three of the four ladies who work for my wife in her shop are Zimbabweans with fake SA ID books, which they bought from corrupt Home Affairs officers. There is also a persistent rumour that Zimbabwe army regulars are behind the large number of cash in tranit heists in Johannesburg, and that the money is sent back to help prop up Zimbabwe, right wing conspiracy theory?

Bob, Johannesburg, South Africa

every day we hear of britains glorious past of nation building,
Mugaba is right onhis vision of african owning the land once stolen by foriegn invaders, butt o agree with his methods is to bury ones head in sand.

michael joseph heavey, cahersiveen/adams town, MADNESS

Tragically I have to agree with Michael Rigby - each African summit is more farcical than the last. However, evacuating all the Brits will only leave Zimbabwe even wider-open to take over by Libya, China and North Korea - all of whom are bankrolling Mugabe's hideous personal excesses at the expense of the ordinary Zimbabwean. God help them.

Sue Shaw, Morpeth, UK

The so-called leaders of Africa arranged a show of unity while their people were dying or starving to death. What a shame! If South Africa imposed even very limited sanctions on Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe would fall within one month. His presidential guard consists of 1,500 paramilitary police from Angola which were well-known for their brutality during the civil war there. Africa is doomed, it has no future. Instead of taking measures to solve their own problems they just sit on the fence, ask the West for help and blame colonialism.

Eli, Taipei,

Aid should be denied all the countries participating in the conferance.
They are a disgrace, so why should the British tax payer have to give them anything !

Paul Greenwood, Worcester, UK

These African 'leaders' just keep on showing their true colours (pardon the pun) and total ineptitude and we keep on pandering to them. Treat them as they treat their own people and see how they like it.

Alice, Moscow,

Now, notice that the people who cheered for Mugabe were those brainwashed puppets of his, not the Zimbabwean real people. This is a shame! The Zimbabwean people cannot afford to fly to Zambia to meet their president. For what? They are hungry, leaderless, and dying for change. There's too much terrorism from this fellow and the world is just sending Mbeki!

Lester Zwapera, Detroit, Michigan

Oops, laager, as your correspondent should know, is a Boer term.

Ian, Frederick, USA MD

So these British pasport holders most probably pay nothing to the UK economy in taxes yet want help when the going gets tough. I hope they get billed for the flight.

Richard, Plymouth,

African leaders are the root of Africas problems .
I hate this country for for giving host and second homes to most of these leaders and their families and to all their corrupt officials with their children filling our universities
British politicians that bang on about the plight of the poor of Africa who allow this to happen are the worlds worst hypocrites..

wayne, huntingdon, cambs

Where is the UN with the Zimbabwe situation? What will it take before they intervene? Shame on the global community. Hold your kids tight tonight because in Zimbabwe they are starving to death. Imagine the desperation of mothers trying to feed their crying little ones! Shame on us all for not shouting protest from the rooftops.

Joseph Max, Brisbane, Australia

Has anyone ever asked why the Britons that need to be rescued have not left on their own when Zimbabweans are flocking out of the country in millions, and in some cases have to use forged documents?

Charles Rukuni, Bulwayo, Zimbabwe

My heart is with those in Zimbabwe who may have to be evacuated and for those who may have to stay and continue to suffer or worse under Mugabe's tyrannical regime.

This hateful man reminds us all,surely, of other so-called leaders - Hitler, Pol pot et al. The civilised world should have become united and rid Zimbabwe (and the rest of the world)of this psychotic meglamaniac. I'll bet he doesn't run short of sugar or anything else for that matter.

Rodney Barker, Gainsborough, England U.K.

This adulation of a geriatric meglomaniac is vile rascism whipped up by the perception that Mugabe is giving people of European origin what they deserve. Zimbabwe was the second biggest economy in Africa due to European expertise, capital, work ethic and yes - greed. Remove that and the results are a warning to us all. In the final analysis African politics is about patronage and power pure and simple.

Arnold Ward, Weybridge, Surrey, UK

Mugabe's land redistribution policy was obviously not economically led, it was simply a racist tactic that proves, after more than a generation of independence, that he and his party are simply unfit to govern. A generation of guerrilla warfare and a further generation of destruction, all in all not a great advert for the strength of democracy, nor is it a good track record for those who purport to promote and support democracy - i.e. the mandarins in Whitehall.

Peter Harris, London,

Where are the racists now who insist that Africans are capable of running their own countries? Not so busy now calling those who warned of what would happen and is still happening, racists, are they? And will the returning White Zimbabweans be fully recompensed for their evictions and theft of their legally owned property by a British government that insisted on Ian Smith hand over the government of a well-run and economically very sound country, where the majority were very happy, to a terrorist group, ZANU PF?

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

Mugabe has been getting worse for years. Few leaders can take credit for the destruction of a functioning and rich country to the extent he can. He is a total offence against humanity yet the mad dictator is still cheered and supported by the adoring hordes of African leaders (surely a contradiction in terms?). After pouring so much wealth into Africa south of the Sahara as aid and emergency food relief, and which only serves to prop up so many corrupt regimes, surely it is time to call a total halt to any form of assistance to Zimbabwe and to other equally corrupt regimes. It can hardly make the lives of the poor worse since most of the money is fungible and ends up buying Armani suits, palaces and Kalashnikovs or subsidising the self-serving band of "leaders" in endless conferences to discuss the terrible economic and social legacy of colonisation - as another few thousand are killed or die somewhere.

It is a shame that recolonisation is such a politically incorrect concept

John Kerr-Stevens, Canberra, Australia

African Leaders - Shame On You!

To most African heads of state, Robert Mugabe is a poster-boy and a hero. Why? Because he says the things about the West that they can only think, he does to his opponents what they are itching to do and he openly lives out their underlying racist and tribalist attitudes.

In a sick and twisted way, this is gross exploitation by African Leaders of the starving, battered and beleaguered people of Zimbabwe whose only crimes are losing faith in a government that has caused their misery and yearning for a better life. It is exploitation because Mugabe is living out these narcissistic leaders’ fantasies for them, and they derive pleasure from watching. To these leaders it is like watching a stirring and inspirational movie, not unlike disenfranchised neo-nazi’s watching a movie of Hitler and being overwhelmed with passion and nostalgia.

These leaders dream that without the pesky west to rely on for aid and trade, they could be living Mugabe’s charmed existence, deriding the West, beating and killing their opponents with impunity and driving wedges between races and tribes.

African leaders who idolize Mugabe and relish his hatred and brutality can be assured of being relegated to the gutters of history as Mugabe will certainly be.

Paul Maher, Hartfield, East Sussex

There are no African leaders who will put their people ahread of their own pockets because the West provides two things: An un-ending supply of "International Aid" and an un-ending supply of self-hate and guilt over colonialism.

it's that self-hate that empowers those who want to exploit us for our goodwill. We should stop crying about colonialism and stop crying about how 'sorry' we are. Let the rest of the world take responsibility for itself.

Ethan, Tampa, FL, USA

Now this is where the MoD should have sent the troops instead of wasting (our) money and soldier's lives in attempting to "free" the Iraqi people, a battle that will never be won.
Mugabe and his corrupt self serving government have been "sticking their fingers up" at all and sundry since the tyrant came to power and yet no-one has had the common sense to kick him and his cronies out of Zimbabwe. I suppose that because there is no oil there and there's no easy money to be made, the British Foreign Office decided to quietly ignore the atrocities being perpetrated on decent folk by this nasty little man.
Still, it's not for me to question the unfailing wisdom of the UK's foreign policy makers as invariably they know best!!

Jeffers, Maidstone, UK

A two day summit of Leaders?
No wonder people look with scorn on the majority of black african rulers.
They seem to have no regard for the lives of their people, they are banded together in a collective denial of decency,democracy, and the rule of Law.
They are a disgrace to humanity.
Mugabe is a monstrous psychopath, and these people applaud him?
No hope I'm afraid,Africa is doomed.

Michael J Rigby, Blackburn, England

The anti Smith marchers have suddenly disappeared

Nigel Hamley, Melbourne, Victoria

It is bizarre that so much effort and money is being put into African states by the west, and yet the same states persist in destroying Africa and blaming the west for their woes.

Charles Smyth, Belfast, Antrim

One must wonder whether there is any hope for Africa when its leaders put on such a disgraceful public display of unity behind this tyrant. How can they blind themselves to the horrors of his dictatorship? Are there no African leaders who put the well being of their people first? I am sickened.

R. Miller, London, UK