Mr.Mugabe has probably salted away millions in currency to look after himself whatever the outcome .

jim, Sidcup/Kent,

Why is that most of the commentators are not Zimbabweans themselves. The majority of Zimbabweans want to know from the International Community where were they when the majority of the Zimbabweans did not have a vote and had no dignity whatsoever. Anybody who thinks that balck Zimbaweans were happy to live under Smith is deluded. Majority of black Zimbabweans remember as if it was yesterday being put into forced labour as they were expected to pay taxes when they were not working and those signs in Harare saying "Europeans only, no blacks". Is there collective amnesia on the part of the International community? Why is there so such interest in Britian about Zimbabwe its former colony? Let Zimbaweans decide which direction they want to go. If they want to liberate themselves, they will do so themselves as they did 30 years ago. Zimbabweans want peace and stability and not war as being proposed by some of these armchair commentators who will not be in the firing line if anything happens

chenzira, London,

While us UK citizens are getting all worked up over Zimbabwe maybe we should start to look at the comparisons that are beginning to become blatently obvious with our own country.
Lets do inflation first. Labour are responsible for this CPI measurement that is clearly skewing the real numbers. Why the media are not really going to town on this is beyond me. Conspiracy theories anyone? ONS compiles this data, al on government payroll.
Next, voting. Recent postal vote scams that have come to light are certainly concerning. I can only see this getting worse if it goes electronic.
Next Government expenses. Need I say more. Well yes, it has not been resolved or fully revealed yet. No one resigns in this brave new world.
Next, Housing. I'm not really knowledgable enough to compare this to Zimbabwe and can't really see it as a similarity but I think that most will agree that it is not looking all that good.
Next, Crime. Harriet Harmen, stab vest, Peckham. This is bad. Edmonton also bad.

Andrew, Walthamstow, U.K.

Simple!!!
Either stop aid and let the people revolt when their wonderful leader can't feed them with the food they are grateful for or use the excuse of regime change to send in the boys and remove him.
If he accuses Britian and Europe of trying to take over his beloved country(regime) then stop the aid stating we will not help the people of any leader who has a history and ideals like Mugabe.

N Morgan, Stockport, UK

The Zimbabwean tragedy is an eye opener to the functions of regional organisations such as SADC and continental organisations such as AU. Both lack the political will to act because the same situation is brewing in their backyards. From our leaders we learn that African life has no value except as it promotes the ambitions of the leaders. In Zimbabwe the suffering of the people has not registered in the minds of the leaders as a worthwhile intervention because the lives of Africans are expendible. How can we expect anyone to respect our lives when our own leaders do not. The era of blind allegiance to leaders must be put to rest forever, we need to evolve to the next level of centralising values of democracy, human rights together with our traditional values of community and dignity of all persons. We owe alligiance to these values not our leaders - this is next level of struggle for us as Africans and we must not give up for the sake of our children and grandchildren.

Zibusiso, Johannesburg, South Africa

If only we all leave Africans alone to solve their own problems!
African suffer due to ongoing and never abating European & US interferences....

Kaah, Bristol

Kaah, Bristol, Uk

South Africa is getting rich, from what is happening in Zimbabwe, if u look at a holiday brochure for South Africa, they r selling Victoria Falls as if its in South Africa, and they fly there to lol, lm a zimbabwean living in the uk, Mbeki is not doing a good job of trying to convince Bob to step down its because south african Mbeki and Bob are buddies. what the international community should do is put pressure on south africa n other african states, if S.A. is going to host the world cup, if all hell sets loose in zim, S.A. shud not host the game as it wont be safe for the people visiting , the F,A. should put more pressure on S.A., as all the criminals from zim will be crossing the border to try and better themselves from the riches that the tourist will bring to south african BEWARNED

A. M., Nottingham, uk

Marc Antrim - yes point taken, but did you bother to read the rest of the post? The point is fundamentally that things were GOOD in Zimbabwe 20 years ago. Content and accurate linguistic expression are not mutually exclusive. Absolutely CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT and accurate use of the English language at the same time... why should one preclude the other?

Cass, London,

It's a pity that most of you ,especially the westen people, don't know about China.If you don't know about China's culuture,you 'd better not insult Chinese.
It's true that China has problems,the same as yours,but the Chinese government is not the bad as you thought. They can correct some mistakes,but you should not push and attack them,should not boycott the Olympics.Otherwise we Chinese people will see it as an invasion to our whole nation.
I hope the westers understand Chinese Characters so that you can surf Chinese forums and learn our feelings.Actually,we Chinese have been hurt ,almost all of us are very angry .we have united together and parepared to fight or to welcome,which depends on your conducts.
Anyway all of our nation are looking forward to host a most wonderful Olympic games.

john, jinan, China

Gerry Rawlins got it right in Ghana, proving that African countries can have working democracies and peaceful transition of leadership. Robert Mugabe has joined the ranks of Ugand's Idi Amin, the Congo's Mbutu and Iraq's Saddam Hussein and ancient Rome's Nero - leaders who care not one tinker's curse for their countrymen but only about staying in power and amassing wealth.

Caroline, Brusses, BE

Don't forget Joshua Nkomo
and the hundreds of thousands of civilians in Matabeleland that were killed by Mugabe's government forces.

harrison, buellton,

Boycott Chinese products and Boycott the Olympics.
The west is dining with the Devil and we shall all bear the results of this disastrous relationship.
China has murdered over one million Tibetans and countless others.
China is openly supporting brutal dictators and regimes.Zimbabwe and Darfur to name just two.
Our appeasing government even allowed Chinese paramilitary thugs to escort the Olympic torch.In the process, making fools of our police and undermining our sovereignty.
China is a ruled by a brutal,heavily corrupt Communist dicatorship.The next time we log on to out pc's,play with our numerous electrical devices, or put on our clothes we should spare a thought for where they came from and how they were produced.
It is time the world woke up and took responsibility,otherwise we are all complicit.

James, London, U.K

Why are you surprised Mr. Ashley that the international community does nothing to remove such a tyrant. If they go in the people in England will demonstrate to return the soldies as they did in Iraq. The people of the world have forgotten that you must stop dictators and terrorists of today because otherwise they will take over the world and then they won't be able to demonstrate at all. They should all wake up before it is too late.

Renny, Ramat Hasharon, Israel

If Ian Smith had done a tenth of the damage to Zimbabwe that's been inflicted on it by Mugabe, he wouldn't have lasted a tenth of the time. But then Smith was white - and the Politically Correct have the brass neck call the rest of us prejudiced.

What really saddens me is that the vast majority of us know this, but, for fear of being labelled racist, we give the floor to the baying morons that produce these catastrophes. They (the morons) of course accept no responsibility.

Ken Leyland, Liverpool, U.K.

How can we as free people of the world, allow such a regime to rule these poor people. They are murderers , liars,evil people who only think of themselves.
please Mr brown and
other world leaders stand up to these
evil people and exterminate them.
How can you have a recount of an election when the original results have not been declared.?
We must help these people
to all people who wish to register a complaint can someone give us an address to send our votes to.Time is running out we must act now. to the other Africian countries, hang your heads in shame , you must stop this man now.

Ivan Ashley, Perth, Australia

Has Nelson Mandela had anything to say about the situation in Zimbabwe? One word from him could de-fuse the problem,if he so desired.

Derek, Dudley, England

While the Christian charities provide food and water they prop up Mugabe's regime. Though there might be death if they didn't, there's death when they do. They'd be better off pulling out and allowing the country to re-align itself.

dominic, Teddington, Middlesex, UK

Unless the major Commonwealth nations (UK Australia Canada India) & former NATO colonial members (Italy Germany France Portugal) put a force in place now I fear that a genocide may occur. SA will stand by and do nothing and the UN should give support now to a well structured force allowing for democracy to prevail. This would set a precedent to other African nations who think they can take western aid and pocket it. Just structuring a force and putting it on standby could just break the camel's back before further blood is shed.

Richard Hoblyn FSI, Limoges, FRANCE

Ian Carstairs - it doesnt mean that we then ignore peoples pain and suffering, just because our own governmnet makes mistakes! This is mass murder and rape in the making - the world has got to act.

Adelaide, London, England

the problem is the chinese government trying to give some form of legitimacy to themselves by supporting murderous regimes like mugabes...it shows exactly what china is

william gibbons, chengdu, china

It's starting to look like we will be seeing a Chinese client state in southern Africa sooner rather than later, a dangerous development.

Stan(expat), USA, USA

Notice also Mr Mugabe does his own torturing and doesn't have the decency to farm it out to other countries like the USA and Britain do. All in the war on terror of course!

The medieval tortures carried out for us in the Uzbek dungeons were so appalling that our representative there quit rather than be a party to it. A 16 year old had his hand boiled alive. A woman was raped with a broken bottle and died in agony. All done as part of the rendering service our leaders thought up, our taxes organised and our airports assisted.

So we should be experts in torture, and now we can safely say, "Boo, Mr Mugabe! Bad man!" and know what we're talking about.

iain carstairs, bedford, uk

I think it time to go back to Africa and govern it properly.

John, kenilworth,

It appears from this report that there are a lot of very frightened people in Zimbabwe now. No, not the ordinary citizens, or members of the MDC, but members of Zanu(PF) and of Mugabe's security regime. Their end is near, they know it, and they are fighting scared - poor, blind things!

Philip, Loughborough, Leicestershire

What is happening in Zimbabwe is absolutely shocking and unacceptable. There is no rule of law and no respect for democracy. Citizens of Zimbabwe are facing infringement of their basic rights as have been laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various other human rights documents, hence it is appropriate time for the international community to come together and stand firmly against the tyranny and oppression of Mr. Mugabe, and make him resign from his post, but by following the principle of non -violence.

Aditya, Aberdeen, Scotland

Cass I despair.

Youre reading a comment about one of the few remaining evil dictators on the planet and you feel the need to correct grammar?

This is a form of blog. Its not an exam.

Content Cass, content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, there are gramatical/punctuation mistakes in this which will annoy the hell out of you, the same way your remarks (in this forum) annoyed me.

Susan - as long as you get your views out, what matters the rest?

The sad thing is, there is no oil in Zimbabwe

Marc, Antrim,

l am a zimbabwean, mugabe can do anything to stay in power.my parents are no longer living in harare because the militia are after his blood because he is a active member of mdc in glen view (harare township

blessmore gombedza, kent, uk

I watched Mugabe give an address,recently, to party supporters and was stunned at the similarity between Mugabe and Adolph Hitler. The rhetoric ,gesturing and overall performance were too close to a Hitler to be a coincidence and I was finally convinced when I noticed the moustache.
Mugabe is now Adolf Hitler and the UN waits to see what will happen, sad.

Terry, Radstock, England

African leaders are tending to stick together. Is this because they are all corrupt?

Joe, France,

Regretfully Africa will accept any abuse. Its leaders only look after themselves. Even apparent succesful countries like SA are slowly sinking into the quagmire that is Africa. It just takes longer to destroy.

Its sad.

Richard, London,

At what point in the descent into hell that is the present trajectory of Zimbabwean society will the politically correct finally concede that the man, Mugabe, is a savage?

Derek, Shanghai,

Glad Jonathan is safe. Multiply the story over and over again and then we khow hard it is to organize an opposition party in Zimbabwe!

Two points:
@ David - as you say we stoke the fire. Our challenge is accepting the anger that is still felt about colonialization and the inability of Britain to act definitively in 1965. We must remember that people felt like Jonathan for 90 years and the last 15 of those were agony. The anti-British sentiments in Mugabe's rally speech were amazing to us (contradictory too and ironical as only the BBC was transmitting them to the world!). But RGM was being sincere. That is what he thinks. I am afraid we need an admission of shame and a way of expressing unconditional support to resolve that anger. We have to do our part too.

The SA High Court has refused the offloading of the munitions and the An Yue Jiang has left Durban. Go civil society in SA!

Can Mozambique be prevailed upon not to offload those bullets? China, will you recall them?

Jo, Olney, UK

Hi,
Taking to attention of the ordeals of your correspondent in Zimbabwe I ask very simple questions where does the momentum from Mr. Mugabe come from ? Don’t mansion China but. I thick in English who say Birds of a father flay together.
Regards Dr. Terence Hale

Terence Hale, zandvoort, Holland

And yet again, we all sit back and watch crimes against humanity unfold. Sickening! Mugabe and the likes of him are products of the world's political inertia. Can our Western political leaders do more than pontificate and condemn? It seems not. Instead we shall be treated to the unfolding of one of the most serious mass killings of innocent people. Think of the children. Think of your children.

Max, Cambridge,

Susan - I completely agree with all your well-expressed opinions, but despair regarding your grasp of punctuation.


It's means it is (ALWAYS!!!). It never means 'belonging to it'. That is spelt its. Simple really, yet at least 1 in 2 people posting seem to be entirely unable to cope with this basic rule.

Sorry - I know it's (it is) petty in the face of the horrors befalling ordinary people in Zimbabwe as we sit in the comfort of our homes and type our views, but I was lucky enough to have been educated in Zimbabwe in the 60s and I the quality of that experience has enabled me to grow and develop, unlike my beloved childhood home which is now in terminal decline and whose sons and daughters are lucky to be able to attend school of any kind. May Mugabe face divine retribution for his sins, sooner rather than later.

Cass, London,

South Africa's support for Robert Mugabe's brutal regime defies logic unless one assumes that there are people in South Africa's government who are becoming rich from Zimbabwe's troubles.

Ian, London,

According to his latest speech Mugabe is either a delusional fantacist or a cynical manipulator. He still seeks to demonise UK as a manipulator but also describes Mr Brown as a tiny little dot, ie powerless. He cannot have it both ways
UK has deliberately kept a low profile because to be too active would be used to confirm Mugabe's myths
Meanwhile his fascist followers are putting opposition voters in hospital or worse. Vote for Mugabe or die seems to be the order of the day. Just like Hitler in Nazi Germany anyone against him is also against Zimbabwe and thus a traitor. The opposition is in the pay of UK/USA and is bribing the electorate. If the oppostion really had such backing they would surely be in a much stronger position
A huge shipment of Chinese arms is trying to get to Zimbabwe.
How does a bankrupt country pay for such a costly cargo and what enemy makes it necessary. Clearly it will be used to keep Mugabe in power and the bullets will be fired at Zimbabwe citizens

plato, ely, uk

In 1981 I spent four days in a prison in Zimbabwe "on suspicion" of helping "dissidents" at the time of the genocide visited on the Matabele by Zanu PF. I encountered exactly the same cameraderie and generosity inside as Mr Clayton did, but it is certainly very daunting being interrogated by CIO and not knowing when or if you will be released. I visit family there every six months or so and things are just the same with Zanu PF. You wait in line for bread for two hours and then some party official pushes in at the head of the queue. Unfortunately, the statements by Gordon Brown and other western leaders are simply giving oxygen to Mugabe and providing a focus for Zanu PF to rally around. I don't know what the answer is. One thing that does not get talked about much is the influence of superstition and witchcraft - as much as this is denied, I think it still plays a part with such things as whether people think their vote is secret, and why Mugabe still gets support.

T. David, Brisbane, Australia

I lived in Namibia for 8 years and met many people whose families had their farms taken away from them, Zimbabwe used to be the bread basket for Southern Africa and now the people are starving, people have fled their beloved country if they could and others are trying to stick it out with the hopes that one day Robert Mugabe will be out of office. He took a country that is not only so beautiful but had food to feed it's population to a county now that can't feed it's people and with inflation the way it is, I find it amazing that anyone can survive there unless you in Mugabe's close circle of friends and supporters.

Shame on South Africa and the other Southern African countries for not stepping in when this all first start to happen and at least talk to the leaders of Zimbabwe and oust Mugabe.Just because he was at one time a maverick over 20 years ago that doesn't mean that he is in touch with reality anymore. I hope that this election will be the end of this horrible
regime.

Susan Bourbon, Post Falls, Idaho, USA