God help anyone who thinks Thabo Mbeki or Jacob Zuma are the key to any solutions. Mbeki is a close family friend of the Mugabe family. Mr Zuma said he could not give “a yes or no answer” to whether he supported Mugabe but made clear his sympathy for the view that Britain is to blame for the crisis in Zimbabwe, because it did not live up to its promises to fund land reform.

Mike, Matibiri, Zimbabwe

It's a very interesting fact that the next host of the Olympics was trying to run guns to this rogue state while the leaders of next hosts of the world cup were happy to let this happen. Thank God for the ordinary South Africans who stood up to this.

Mbeki is totally complicit in what is happening in Zimbabwe and the world needs to start talking to the head of the ANC, Jacob Zuma.

Zuma is in no way perfect (and will probably become the West's next big African problem in the next 10 years) but you have to be pragmatic.

The key to solving this problem, is South Africa and the key to getting them to solve this problem is Zuma. Mbeki is a lame duck and does not want to see Mugabe go.

They have too many historical, political and tribal connections (Shona/Xhosa) for Mbeki to turn his back on him.

Zuma needs to rehabilitate his reputation and Zimbabwe gives him opportunity to appear statesman-like. This is a complex problem that doesn't necessarily require a complex solution.

Matt R, Maidstone, UK

China's 'emergency' gift to Zimbabwe! Three million rounds of AK47 ammunition, 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3,000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes to President Mugabe’s armed forces...armed Chinese soldiers booking in to the Holiday Inn in Mutare...sounds like an advance party to crush the rebellious Zimbabwe electorate.

Saki, Kyoto, Japan

British people go to China in their tens of thousands, that gives their Tourist Industry, Big, big money every year. I cannot understand this, as China is Mugabes' chief ally, where is their loyalty to Britian when they go there ? Magabe hates Britian, and is trying to blame the British for the state that Zimbabwe is now in .Once great country, now a nothing.How sad it all is.

elsie whyte, Bangor, N.Ireland.

"Why are the Chinese trying to ship this freak machine gun ammunition?

And why are the Chinese holding the Olympics when they are the main force holding most dictators in power?"

Why do we sell arms to Saudi Arabia an oil rich country which is one of the richest countries by GDP per person but the ordinary person never sees the wealth? And one one that is the driving force of international terrorism. The west still exports more arms than China. Where doe this go?

raymond, the norf, uk

Mugabe may be a small dot. But in an African country which he & his cronies have looted and bankrupted over the years, which has 130,000 % inflation, the so-called 'army' of delinquents is in control.
This is a classic problem of tinpot dictatorship i n Africa - how to remove bad leaders who overstay?
Without the ability of foreign observers to monitor voting there is no way to prevent ballot fraud & intimidation.

Basically the psychopathic Robert M. is likely to drive someone in his entourage or even in the long-suffering & downtrodden public to remove him by any means possible.
Now there's no money, can he rule over a concentration camp for 5 more years? I guess he can, if South Africa say he can.
I blame Mbeki the appeaser very squarely. He & Mugabe must now be made answerable for a sadistic crime against humanity for what has happened in Zimbabwe.

I think the UN should forcibly order Mr. Mugabe to have a free and fair presidential run-off under THEIR jurisdiction!!!!

John, anywhere,

It seams evident that Mugabi has a great deal of courage.
And you spell courage C.H.I.N.A.

Bob, warrington, Cheshire

I can't think of another recent situation where a dictator has seemed to be able to have such a free reign to subjugate his people and ruin his own country . A commentator on a radio station here said this week that you could bet if Zimbabwe had oil.....he would not be there still. Ain't that the truth.?..but a whole other argument. This man is a lunatic and that he can be supported by a country such as Sth Africa which the world helped throw off it's own shackles defies explanation. Good on the port workers in Durban who refused to offload the arms this madman ordered from China to obviously kill his opposition population shortly. Lets hope port workers in Mozambique have the same morals and ethics.

Martin , Auckland, New Zealand

Ranting. That's all Mugabe ever does. And did anyone here notice. Not really because he's just one more African dictator in a long line of self absorbed minor politicians for whom corruption and greed comes before his own people. Using Britain as a scapegoat for his ills cuts no ice here, though his people may think he is fighting the "great cause" but what else have they to go on in a country where the news is controlled by the state. One day they will be free of this short little excuse for a president then maybe, just maybe their country will start to prosper again.

John, Chichester, UK

That's a good one, Mr Phoenix, coming from a country that used to keep slaves!

marina, Hemel Hempstead, Herts

This is the same old story for Zim, I was there a few months before the election and I know first hand how backward Zimbabwe has become, most black people don't care about whites because there a only about 10 000 of them left in Zim, and most of them are trying to help keep the country going. "The British are coming" story has been going on since the 1980's, and to be honest I think 90% of the Zimbabwian people would welcome an invasion, if only to get constant running water, fuel, electricity and food. Robber Mugabe has poisoned a once rich nation of hard workers and made them international beggers, anyone who thinks this is a western conspiricy should go have a look for themselves

Ndlovu, Lusaka, Zambia

Mugabe is the Idi Amin of Zimbabwe.

Frank, Morayfield, Queensland, Australia.

One of the differences between Mugabe and the UK is that the former colonialists spent 100 years raping the country and he has spent the last 25 trying to outdo them. Please, Mr Mugabe! If the Uk has been trying to overthrow the Zimbabwe regime it's been pretty incompetent.

Michael Phoenix, The Dalles, Oregon, USA

Mugabe's cool. Stand and fight the opposition

mike, devon, uk

Through all the coverage of the Zimbabwean election there has been no mention of Mugabe's ethnic cleansing in the early 1980's. Mugabe's elite military unit slaughtered thousands of Matabele tribesmen because they were a threat to his presidency. Now once again this has come under threat, coinciding with a shipment of arms from China in Durban's harbour.

He has committed so many atrocities that he can not afford to give up his position or else he will or will face a court Judge.

Ryan Nortier, Kwa-zulu Natal, South Africa

The University of Zimbabwe's Tony Hawkins notes that Zimbabwe's per capita GDP in 1990 Zimbabwean dollars fell from Z$2185 in 1999 to Z$1355 in 2003. Zimbabwean per capita GDP was lower in 2003 than at the time of Zimbabwe's independence from British rule in 1980. ( Tony Hawkins, "The Zimbabwean Economy in 2003,"

this sample is indicative of a long term trend during Mugabe's leadership

to say his administration has been a failure would be generous

Michael Patrick, Maui, Hawaii

Does something become a maxim by virtue of the fact that it is documented and measurable?

Art Jones, Sydney, Australia

Mugabe has become a parody of himself. I wonder if he is even still in control, or if his cronies have proven to be the master - unwilling to let him step down out fear for their position.

J-P, Fresno, USA

The only good news here is that he's a very old man and no amount of force can keep him there once he dies. So the situation will soon change, the question is, to what?

Proof of dementia : Britain recolonizing. Heck, the British have their hands full just keeping Britain.

Bob Longman, Medford, NY, USA

China is a free country. He has ability to welcome
different countries to join Olympics Games in Beijing.

William Chen, Guangzhou, China

The title of this article should be changed to something like: "Mugabe faces a bold opposition" as it is mostly talks about Mugabe's government's relations with the opposition.

Take with a grain of salt.

Zeeshan, New York, USA

Am I missing something, or is this tyranny at its finest? Check out the mustache for crying out loud!

pepe lopez, austin, texas

Life is precious! It is important that we do all we can to preserve it. What we say to our leaders may be the difference between life and death for our brothers and sisters who are directly affected.

Let us not be judgemental, no one is a saint. Let us pray for God's intervention in all circumstances. There are oppressed, hungry, depressed and marginalised people all over the world.

All leaders come from God, the good and the bad. They rule because He (God) allows it.

Leaders come, leaders go. Ceasar, Napoleone, the Kings and Queens of Great Britain of years past, the Kings and Princes of the Arab world, the past presidents of the African countries, Hitler, Ghandi, you name it. Remember that even the best dancer eventually leaves the stage.

In the meantime, we can send food to the starving in Zimbabwe, clothes or even go and build shelter. Let us take care of the women and the children. Let us build housing for the homeless and care for the sick.

Please, Remember to pray!

Anthony, Manchester, UK

Nelson Mandelas silence on the matter of democracy for his neighbours has been deafening,i guess its only western politics he is interested in.

Paul T, Glasgow, Scotland

It has long been an unmentioned reality that African de-colonisation eventually leads to societal reversion. The decent from the days of Ian Smith are documented and measurable.

This desperate old fool will bequeath incontrovertible evidence of this maxim, when he finally departs.

Stephen, Sydney, Australia

Why are the Chinese trying to ship this freak machine gun ammunition?

And why are the Chinese holding the Olympics when they are the main force holding most dictators in power?

Zen, London,

All of Africa is in chaos, and despite having plenty of resources does not achieve it's potential. Perhaps it needs leadership from outside its borders rather than false property ownership values of ignorant leaders which only serve to stifle progress and limit opportunity for people living in the continent.

J.D., Honolulu,

Britain and the United States have channelled funds to human rights and pro-democracy groups in Zimbabwe to promote civil society. SOUNDS very familial all that. Brittain and the United States channelled money to Zimbabwe (ex British Rhodesia, whites only colony) because they care about the rights of the people of Zimbambwe.WOWWWW. Really!!! Looks like the colorful revolutions of Georgia and Ukraine to me. And about Gordon Brown, I think he has to get elected first and then he can talks after. Who elected him to be the prime minister of Her Majesty in first place?
I'm so confused this days!!!

Marius, Montreal, Canada

That's rich! His people are starving and being beaten at his hands and he blames the British. He's been in power for 28 years and he still blames the British!

leila, manchester, uk