In response to Derek from Seattle, how about we move Mugabe to your neighbourhood in Seattle? After all we are the land of the free and the home of the brave here in the U.S.

Akinyemi Okocha, New York, U.S.A.

Its about time Africa grew up it is many many years now since they had the wicked colonials to blame for everything. I don't think there is one African country,apart from maybe Botswana which was never a colony only a protectorate, which is better off now than it was under colonial rule. Africans have run Africa themselves for years and they have invariably gone backwards and they still want to cry about it. Wake up its YOUR fault now YOU are responsible stop whining.

Peter Barry, Bangkok, Thailand

Yeah I do agree with you Matthew Nash. When Zimbabwe was handed to Mugabe, it had a very strong economy. I had just joined a financial institution and I stil remember that Z$1 was equivalent to £0.99 and was even stronger than the US$. There is really no point in keeping on pointing a finger at Britain 28 years after. I'm a black Zimbabwean and I'm not going to be protecting Mugabe. The point is, he messed up. I experienced both economies and I was far much better off before the so called independence. Remember we were under sanctions but we never ran out of fuel, food. Transport was just mmxxwwaaaa.

Charles, London, United Kingdon

Mugabe is now 84 years old, and I think that the public should be aware that the British government tends to embellish any negative news that they do have about African countries. It would be very honourable for Tsvangirai to leave Mugabe alone to live in peace in Zimbabwe. What sort of monster would Tsvangirai seem to be, if his is to prosecute an 84 year old man, who actually opened the gateway for him to be able to claim the victory that he is claiming. Without Robert Mugabe, Tsvangirai would not be in the position he is in now. Zimbabwe was emancipated from Colonial rule by the likes of people like Robert Mugabe, and the world, esp. Zimbabweans should not forget that. Let the poor man live in peace. He is old now anyway. What harm can he possibly do to anyone??

Mary Thembani, Whitechapel/London, United Kingdom

''The 'African Way'..... Thank God we live in the civilised world and not in the Africa. And for all of those Africans who hate the 'West' or hate Britain - but hold out the begging bowl for aid or emigrate to Britain every time things go bad - have a little self-respect to live by your 'African Way' principles.

Mark, London, UK''

Mark, I find your comments offensive, ignorant and naive. Africa, Zimbabwe in particular is at its knees thanks largely to the colonisation by the west. Read some history and you will learn something that should help you shut up. Your ignorance is loud and stinks too. Talking about the begging bowl, who feeds you right now? Who produces more than 20% of the products you consume, including food? And who is corrupt when it comes to trade?? You just have no clue. Limit your comments to politics, not to other economic issues.

Gerald , York, UK

I have one more thing to say to those who say this is Britain's fault. The reason that Zimbabwe had such a strong infrastructure in the 1st place was because of the Britains who put it there. Before Mugabe, Zimbabwe was a country that thrived because it's economy was so strong. The fact of the matter is people in Zimbabwe were better off during colonial rule! Of that there is NO doubt. I was there during this time, and I was there after. The difference was obvious. All Mugabe had to do was build on what had been achieved. But that was not his aim. His aim was to run the country into the ground and leave with it's wealth. End of story!

Matthew Nash, London, United Kingdom

As a Catholic I have often wondered why he has not been excommunicated. He is an evil tyrant who has been responsible for the deaths of countless innocent lives and has brought poverty to the masses.
If this doesn't give reason for him to be publically vilifiled by the Pope what does?
Now let's hope Zimbabwe can become a beautiful counrty with justice and equality for all its citizens regardless of colour and tribe.
Do not compare Mugabe and Mandela for an instant. Mandela loves his country and fought against the evil of Apartheid not against the white people of South African per se. Pity there aren't more leaders like him in Africa or anywhere else for that matter. Certainly Mbeki and Sumo don't come close.

Nicolette , Leigh-on-Sea, UK

Firstly I have to comment on David from France's comment. It was not too long ago that Chirac rolled out the red carpet for this evil tyrrant, Mugabe. Shame on all of those people and governments who stood by and watched Mugabe RAPE his own country for 28 YEARS!!! And that includes my own President Mbeki. How dare Mugabe demand respect and dignity of a "freedom fighter"!!! He only wanted colonial rule to end so he could line his own pockets. This scumbag needs to be removed even if it means by force, tried for his crimes against humanity and dealt with in the same way as Saddam Hussein was. He does not deserve to breath our oxygen!

Matthew Nash, London, United Kingdom

To ChiaraM, I see you are currently living in Brisbane, a fine city I have also had the privilege of staying in(I have not visited Zimbabwe). Can I ask, would you be happy with Mr Mugabe running Australia? Do you think the rest of Australia would accept him?
No, I didn't think so. Mr Mugabe started murdering his own people, using North Korean trained troops, almost as soon as he got to power. I would be interested in your explanation of how this was Britain's fault. Did we force Africans to kill Africans?
If Britain was the problem, independence was the opportunity to show that Mr Mugabe could run the country better. I never liked or voted for Tony Blair, but at least he has not stolen from his own people to amass a fortune, or murdered political opponents. If he had, I wouldn't be blaming Zimbabwe for it.

David, Edinburgh,

There are only a few words to say:
Mugabe, MUST GO!!!
Let the people get on with their lives!

Dan, Cape Town, South Africa

The 'African Way'..... Thank God we live in the civilised world and not in the Africa. And for all of those Africans who hate the 'West' or hate Britain - but hold out the begging bowl for aid or emigrate to Britain every time things go bad - have a little self-respect to live by your 'African Way' principles.

Mark, London, UK

Well ChiaraM, I only need quote you your own words:-
Before Mugabe was backed in a corner and was afraid of facing his crimes, all Zimbabweans (of all colours) lived in peace and harmony. It was the jewel of Africa with a thriving economy. The scars of British rule will still be part of our history. . If you cannot see the contradiction there then pity for you.

And pity for the leaders of African nations who not long ago gave Mugabe a standing ovation'

David Powell, Salles d'Aude, France

You've all lost the plot!!!
If you have ever seen the results of genocide or felt the fear of imminent death for you, your wife,your children and your whole family, you couldn't take such a conciliatory stance.
This is why our children have no moral measure. Sometimes the end does not justify the means and I prefer to retain my naive belief that right is right, wrong is wrong and those who perpetrate such calcualted murder should be shot. This jungle we live is needs limits otherwise we may as well all hang up our thin cloak of civilisation and start eating each other

Jshon, Jakarta, Indonesia

Mugabe is as ruthless a dictator as there has ever been; to allow him any privilege would be a slap in the face of all the ciizens of Zimbabwe. Mugabe turned a properous county, by African standards, into a country suffering a level of proverty few in the West can comprehend.

Winston Smith, Orlando, FL, USA

Derek from Seattle I think you should keep your comments to politicians in the USA. We do not appreciate you trying to make out that Mugabe and Mandela are of the same cloth, they are not Mandela is an icon in our country loved by all children and adults alike of all colours I do not think the world has often produced such decent human beings he is one of a kind. Mugabe is a despot of which we have plenty in Africa and the rest of the world so leave Mandela out of it.

Thelma Yuill , Durban , South Africa

For the sake of stability and reconciliation Mr Mugabe should not be hounded and brought to justice for crimes he may have committed. In that sence the 'African way' may be the 'right way'. I wonder though whether the delay in announcing the results of the election has provided the Government time to destroy thousands of incriminating papers, should indeed it be the case that Robert Gabriel Mugabe has relinquished power.

simon Jackman, London, UK

Move Mugabe to Cape Town and Johannesburg. He can live out his years with Mandela. The two old tyrants suit each other perfectly! Mbeki could join them. A perfect threesome!!!!

Derek, Seattle, USA

Let him come and live in U.K. Everyone else is!

Neil Clough, Wiltshire, England

Why didn't the west allow Saddam Hussein to live in his palaces after he had been deposed?
If the world allows Mugabe to escape justice for all his crimes, then we are ALL morally corrupt and need stop bleating about injustices anywhere in the world.

Ragnarok, Perth, Australia

If Africans want to resolve African problems in an African way, then they should stop asking for financial aid from the West!!

Ali, London, UK

Britain has only itself to blame for what happened to Zimbabwe and Mugabe. Any indignation is unjustified.

robert, vancouver , bc

Having lived in Zimbabwe, I can understand the cultural and historical turmoil that the Zimbabwean people felt under the British rule. This should not be reneged. However, the current government has used this to their advantage to ensure they remain in power. I know that as a young Zimbabwean this should be acknowledged, however, Zimbabwe is now free and this should now be placed in Zimbabwe's historical context where it belongs. Before Mugabe was backed in a corner and was afraid of facing his crimes, all Zimbabweans (of all colours) lived in peace and harmony. It was the jewel of Africa with a thriving economy. The scars of British rule will still be part of our history, but I think the last 10years have added salt to the wound. The resilience of the Zimbabwean people is remarkable. I hope that change is now on the horizon for all.

ChiaraM, Brisbane, Australia

He should be brought before British justice, African style justice has left the continent ruined with corruption. How can they expect anyone to take them seriously when the likes of Moi and and Mugabe are left unpunished.

Tom , London, Great Britain

"It may be nonsense but it is a sign of the strength of lingering hostility from colonial days."

And I suppose some Germans were not too enthusiastic about the Nuremburg trials, either.

Isn't it a typical sign of our PC times that how some unidentified people, never allowed to speak for themselves, but imagined to harbour "resentment" by a white middle class diplomat, are allowed to trump natural justice.

If "resentment" was a real argument, we should have left the Kaiser in power and treated Saddam as an honoured world statesman. Their supporters resented the West, too.

Frankly, I don't believe a word of it. It time we will find that Mugabe has paid plenty to his replacements, that his retirement has been bought and sold, and that this is the real reason the West is going along with it. Mugabe's loot is just being spread around a bit. The Mugabes of this world corrupt everyone.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/US

Such a solution is the best way forward for Zimbabwe. Ian Smith murdered thousands of blacks with the help of Apartheid South Africa, and was accorded a peaceful retirement. The white supremacists in South Africa also got away with murder. A trial for Mugabe would be hypocritical given the context of our history in this part of Africa.

nelson tsanga, harare, zimbabwe

reading the above article makes my stomach churn:is it not time we drew a line in the sand and stopped appeasing despots and mass murderers; can some-one please tell me the difference between an african mass murderer and a serbian one? seems to me the only difference is the colour of their skin.
also britain is not to blame, in any way, for the conduct of her past colonies when they achieved independence.

james morrell, doncaster, united kingdom