Let Zimbaweans deal with their own problems without all this outside interference. New Labour has caused a lot of problems for Zim and Brown should keep out of it.

chenzira, London,

'Words, words, words': somebody please do something: re-enter the 'heart of darkness' and do the right thing this time: you know you want to.

James Alexander Register, Guildford, England

However revolting the conduct of Mugabe and Mbeki, you must also question the Chinese who will never side against their allies in any UN vote. This includes not only Zimbabwe, Darfur, Libya but Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. Off course they would prefer hassle free elections with their choosen man i.e. Mugabe in Zimbabwe's case. Hence Chinese army troops and equipment are at the ready if not already carrying out 'peace-keeping' missions. Think what the future may bring when most of the world is under Chinese rule one way or another. SCARY!

Maybe they looked at what happened to the charming (not!) Nicholas v. Hoogstraten who bought half of Zimbabwe but was arrested when falling out with his mate Bob They're worried about their investments and will never voice an opinion against Mugabe

It's tempting to agree Africa deal with itself the African way as some Africans insist Though it be lots cheaper, it will kill so many more deserving people who care about survival only!

LT, Warminster, UK

We had better take note that while you are talking about technicalities people are dieing. I agree about Brown but he is the only dog we got so let him bark and show his teeth. It has taken an immense amount of prodding from inside and outside his own country for Mbeki to actually says things are wrong.

Jas, Alders, UK

There should be a VOTE of NO CONFIDENCE in the UN Security Council, mainly aim directly at South Africa. Stop all aid going to Africa. Africa's problems won't be solve by African Nations, but by Global Warming.

Do your bit for Africa, Buy a 4x4.

Martin, macc,

I don't think Brown is qualified to talk about elections of leaders since he was imposed on us without any election.

Howard, Milton Keynes,

"Let the Africans have Africa, it's their continent", say at least ten commentators. Fine, but what if we in Europe say the same thing. What I particularly object to is the double standard of racism, where if a black person from Africa arrives in Europe, within a few months he is French, British, German or what ever, with all the attendant rights. But if he is white for four generations in the likes of Zimbabwe, he has none. Mugabe has been openly stirring hate against white people and the toothless UN should do something about it.

Nicholas, Tipperary, ireland

Bit rich coming from someone who denies his own people the promised vote on the EU treaty.

Simon, Chatham, Kent

It Seems like Mugabe made a fake election this time. He will not get away with it. Just like the story, The Boy Cried Wolf his dishonesty will soon hunt him back.

Fei, Richmond, BC, Canada

Mbeki is jointly responsible with Mugabe for the oppression of the Zimbabwean people. They should both be indicted and tried for crimes against humanity at The Hague.

Rob Smith, London, UK

I'm not a great fan of Gordon Brown and never thought that I would defend him, but regardless of his politics, the situation in Zimbabwe is so serious that we need to forget about the messenger and concentrate instead on the message. Mr Brown is right; Mugabe must not be allowed to steal the election. Nobody is suggesting that Britain will try to take control once more of Zimbabwe; this is not a matter of colonialism, other than an acceptance at long last that as a former colonial power we have a duty to the people of Zimbabwe to ensure that their votes are counted. Mugabe has brought the country to its knees. The most generous annual pension in Zimbabwe doesn’t even buy one loaf of bread! The electricity supply is unreliable (where it exists at all). Too many of the Zimbabwean people, who once were the best educated in sub-Saharan Africa, now have no education, no healthcare, no work and no food. Many of them, as a direct result of Mugabe’s actions, also have no home. To suggest that Gordon Brown has no more right to power than Mugabe is completely missing the point; Gordon Brown isn’t likely to be our leader for very long because we can now all see the harm he has done to our economy and we’ll soon get the right to vote him out, but if he achieves nothing else during his short time as PM he deserves to go down in history as a great Prime Minister if he gives back to the people of Zimbabwe that same right, because every other world leader until now has taken the easy option and simply ignored the problem.

JG, Plymouth, England

"This man has not - and clearly would not - win an election.
He does not have the support of the electorate after years of failed economic policy.
Now he attempts to highlight issues overseas to detract from his own shortcomings.

Of course, the same could be said for Mugabe."
Paul, Singapore

Wonderful, wonderful, very very funny!

Christopher Hobe Morrison, Pine Bush, Ulster County, NY, USA

But Gordon, there is no oil underneath Zimbabwe's soil....Why would the world care?

Michael Kirk, LURAY, Virginia

If election`s main priority is to protect colonial interest in Zimbabwe this is the land, as a patriotic Zimbabwean it is the duty of every Zimbabwean to defend his or her country. I am ready for it, I will defend Zimbabwe by whatever means necessary. Mind you Zimbabwe will never be a colony of Britain again directly or indirectly through the use of a puppet party. Never ever. I rather go back to Zimbabwe after 15 years in UK to defend my country, USA presidential election took more than a month, Zimbabwe is just a country with the same status as USA.

Mwana WeZimbawbe, London, Uk

This is a man that has not even had an election to vote him in as PM. What a cheek.j

June sumner, Retford, Notts

paul in york........ what makes you think by sending military will rescue zimbabwe in three days ? george bush said the iraq war will take only three month but its now in its fifth year and possible 100 more years arccoding to john mccain, nobody likes there country to be invaded even MDC supporters...gordon brown should concetrate in solving domestic issues

ralph, lagos, nigeria

Zimbabwe's government has stepped up its campaign against opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, by accusing him of treason.

This is going to get bloody, the surrounding African Nations need to stand firm and oversee a fair diplomatic process. The initiative needs to come from other African nations, America and Britain shouldn't involve themselves as neither of their leaders were voted in either and to interject would stink of hypocrisy!

ChasNDave, Cumbria, UK

I sometimes ask myself why is Britain so interested in the Zimbabwean situation? What do they stand to gain. To those who claim that Thabo Mbeki is protecting Mugabe I think thats a narrow way of looking at things, If you ask me Thabo Mbeki has been and continues to facilitate talks between MDC and ZANU-PF . If we all remember Thabo was appointed by SADC to facilitate those talks and not by Brown or USA for that matter and he will report to the SADC.

Mzuyanda Dlanga, Qumbu, Eastern Cape, South Africa

This is a big development for British foreign policy brown has obviously finally run out of patience with Mbeke's "quiet diplomacy" which has served to maintain Mugabe in power for these last 10 years, destroyed a beautiful country and undermined Africa's credibility. Mbeke has blown South Africa's already slim chance of gaining a permanent seat on the Security Council. For Brown it's a big gamble as South Africa is a serious trade partner for the UK. As ever with Africans, public criticism is as likely to result in more deep seated intransigence
than action. Brown must hope that Zuma gets into power before too long and is more sympathetic to tightening the screws on Mugabe. The other key player is of course China. So far China's policy of "non interference" ie working with whatever bunch of dictators is in power has been spectacular successful and has enabled them to scoop up an ever greater share of the world's natural resources. Pity the poor Zimbabweans

Wade, Watamu, Kenya

What a hypocrite Brown is. Less than a year ago he stated that he would not work with a Scottish government if the 'people' voted SNP. When the electorate called his bluff and did just that, he held off for almost a month before recognising defeat and in so doing made the Labour Party in Scotland look desperate and inept.
Similarly, although part of Labour's manifesto promised a referendum on any further UK moves toward the EU, that is categorically refused.......under 'any lie will do' policy perfected under this totalitarian 'New Labour'.
Since Brown is well educated, well read and politically experienced his actions cannot be attributed to naivety.
We are left with the impression, therefore, that he thinks
a) nobody has noticed.....or
b) our heads zip up the back!

Laura-C Kelly, Edinburgh,

It is refreshing to see that at least one nation in the world is taking an interest in the affairs of Africa. Zimbabwe is in crisis. It cannot solve it's problems alone and the Mugabe camp is being supported by the Chinese who are only interested in their own needs and not those of the people of this stricken nation.

Great Britain has historical connections to this nation and region and therefore understands better than most the need for change. If the remainder of Africa's leaders are incapable or unwilling to react then it is the moral responsibility of the developed world to help.

AOL, Dublin, Ireland

There are not many leaders in the Western hemisphere that have ruled their countries for a continuous period of 25 years !
Whether an election is rigged or not, no leader should be allowed to contest after having been in power for a maximum of more than 2x 5 year terms anywhere in the world ! Time then, for a change for Robert ( or Bob the builder ) to build peace for his own people, have respect and dignity for himself, his people and the rest of Africa?? !! Some people in Zimbabwe have not even survived until their 25th Birthday !

DKP, London, U.K.

Everyone forgets that Thabo Mbeki's wife is related to Mugabe's wife so they are practically family. It's no wonder he is so soft on him

Paul, Cape Town, South Africa

The world inlcuding stood by when George W. Bush stole the 2000 election. Whats so special about Zimbabwe ? Is it Britains personal animosity to Mugabe ?

A. Khan, London,

As in Sudan/Darfur, the issue is China, the new Imperialist on the block. They are on target to repeat the mistakes of the British and American empires a Billion times over.

Roger Thornhill, London, UK

Ok all the comments about Bush stealing the US presidency are fair but please don't confuse overseas' presidential systems with our parliamentary one. Brown is not elected by the electorate, he is 'invited' to be PM, on the basis of his support in the Commons.

That aside, we MUST continue to criticise Mugabe and Zanu PF - a failed and tired regime hanging on for fear that all their abuses will come back to haunt them. Much as it goes against the grain, many people in Zimbabwe will need guarantees of amnesty except in the worst cases. Unless they are prepared to surrender their positions the intimidation will continue.

I wish we could also see support and financial aid programmes but I fear most of that money is being spent in Afghanistan and Iraq

David C, Halstead, UK

What's this fixation with the affairs of another nation? With the problems looming at home, Brown ought to be spending his time and talents directing the affairs of the State from which he draws his mandate. Is this bluster an attempt to distract?

Jim O'Sullivan, Sligo, Ireland

Thabo Mbeki supports Mugabe his black brother despite having 3 million refugess in his country who are there because
of this obnoxious man. Mebeki's utterances on HIV alone should make him a weird person, and in his regime blacks are no better. i have criticised Brown for his policy but I support him on this. As far Mbeki, the world should ignore this man. We are throwing good money after bad in Africa when we have necessity for it in this country.

Gary, LONDON,

What's this obsession with Mugabe / Zimbabwean anyway. Nowhere else (international press / web sites) does one hear or read about as much as in this country.

J.King, Dublin,

Didn't Gordon brown steal the last British general election? He got a sizeable parlimentary majority with little over 30% of the vote... doesn't seem much like democracy to me. He has also denied us a vote on the EU constitution and presided changes to over postal voting that a banana republic would be proud of.

Andrew Brown , derby, uk

I know its heartless but personally I'd rather get shot of Africa, at least the all parts except the North... I personally couldn't care whether they have democracies or dictatorships ( as there appears little difference in the african context)... but what I cannot abide is the bad governance... Kenya... gone to pot... Zimbabwe... gone to pot... South Africa... its only a matter of time. There are probably two or three decent governments in Africa, the rest it appears go backwards year after year... and we reward them with subsidies..... the only reason the chinese are there are to get the natural resources... maybe thats the only reason we are there.. but I would as a first step certainly welcome stopping all financial help to every member who has helped Mugabe recently... the reason... they have seen what he's doing, they know he's rigged elections but they have done nothing... Zimbabwe is now in a bigger mess and will cost more to resolve.. they should pay for that .

abharrisson, london,

Taff - Newport, you may think you know about the Political System of the UK, but it is patently obvious that outside your little version of utopia you know nothing about the electorate!

People vote for Politicians - not Policies.

Mark, Berlin,

Bert O'Flynn,

Jacob Zuma is the next South African president, and as a member of the Zulu tribe, I promise that he has absolutely no time for Robert Mugabe, seeing as he was in charge when over 20,000 of his Ndebele cousins. Think before you speak old son

Tim Holmes, Christchurch/Harare,

Its seems African's are incapable of ruling themselves ... from Sudan, to Somalia to Congo to Zimbabwe - all we hear in the media is crisis.

Sierra Leone, Chad, Ethiopia, Eretria, Kenya, Uganda … the list goes on.

Maybe, its time to for African's to reflect on this?

Vishal Patel, London, UK

This man has not - and clearly would not - win an election.
He does not have the support of the electorate after years of failed economic policy.
Now he attempts to highlight issues overseas to detract from his own shortcomings.

Of course, the same could be said for Mugabe.

Snubbed by Thabo Mbeki.
Mr. Brown is quickly becoming as big an embarrassment overseas as he is at home.

Paul, Singapore,

Whilst I do not support Mugabe in any way. Surely Gordon Brown is not suitable to critise him as Gordan Brown ran away from an election. He remains an unelected leader.

Lloyd, Solihull, Uk

Honestly, who cares what Gordon Brown says or does.

Definitely none of the African nations and most certainly not Mugabe.

Suit Borwn better to concentrate on the home front and leave Africa to the Africans.

RJ, Lincoln, UK

There is no doubt that Mugabe is 'fixing 'the election results but Brown should be very careful here; the British people were completely denied the right to vote for their leader. For goodness sake don't give this man a gun or his foot will be in real peril.

Graham, UK, UK

Graham, if another Labour MP had managed to get the 44 PLP votes needed to force a leadership contest, do you think Brown would have had Labour party members who publicly stated that they were going to vote for the other candidate beaten by roving private militias? In 2009 or 2010 there is going to be a general election. You can put a poster for whatever party you like in the window and the army isn't going to break your door down. I'm no Brownite, but false comparisons get one nowhere

Chris, Leeds,

China seem to have bought all authocratic governements repressing democrazy for raw material and imperialistic expansion in Africa and South East Asia (Burma,Laos,Nepal), this is why Mugabe still feels confident in his seat after a clear electoral defeat. Only a direct western miltiary intervention could solve this problem swiflty.

Simomaxx, London,

Of course other leaders are slighting him, Brown will continuously be given the cold shoulder, he's weak. the leaders of countries round he world know this. He has no clout, no presence and they no reason to bother with him.

Robert, London, uk

pedro - Levy Mwanawasa, Zambian president, has criticised the Zimbabwean situation, last year likening the country to the sinking Titanic, and calling a SADC summit over the weekend to discuss the crisis

Alan, Exeter, Devon

Pompous Gordon's condemnation of this rigged election would carry more weight if he had been equally outspoken about the two presidential elections stolen by the US Republicans in 2000 and 2004.

Adam, Lancaster, UK

Mr Brown has shown some stuff which some of us doubted he had, well, well, well.

wpo, warsaw, ny

So much talk about a stolen election in Zimbabwe. What about the one stolen from the people of Kenya?

Why give a single £ to any of these illegal regimes?

Andy, NY, USA

Africa is a basket case, no matter who is in power in whatever country this is always the outcome. There are too many tribes, they cannot live together, and that goes from the north to the south.

preddo53, leeds, UK

It is in South Africa's interests that there be a change of leader, if not government, in Zimbabwe, but Mr Mbeki does nothing to encourage nor facilitate it. Why not? My cynical mind thinks ahead to next year, when Mr Mbeki is supposed to vacate the Presidency of South Africa.......

Duncan McG, Melbourne,

The local elections are looming. Speaking out against Mugabe makes more logistical sense than another handshaking session with out troops, targeted round the clock by non-uniformed, suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Theo Nelson, South Hams,

What a pity that small minded idiots take this opportunity to make petty political comments here.

People are starving and dying as we speak as a consequence of the Mugabe dictatorship, with a risk of another bloodbath to come.

IT'S THE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO MATTER!!

David, Coutances, France

The world should place the whole of SADC under sanctions as all those leaders are letting Mugabe go scot free.Mbeki supports Mugabe so why expect him to do any different,he is prolonging the miseries of Zimbabweans.The sooner UN or whoever can handles this problem the better.Zimbabweans desparately need the UN help,not SADC which happens to be full of like minded leaders singing Bob's music.GO TO www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe and see for yourselves how people are being ruthlessly maimed,killed ,tortured NOW whilst Mbeki says there is NO CRISIS in Zim

kaMalunga, HATFIELD, UK

So all we have to do is get on a plain go see Mr Mugabe, 1000 or 2000 of us and say its time to go Mr Mugabe,
I’m sure Mugabe, will shoot some of us, but will the western leaders stand haplessly by.

Graham, Liverpool, , England

Who voted for Brown in any general election?

ANDY L, St Helens, UK

When was Gordon Brown given the poll results? I have no doubt vote rigging has gone on in Zimbabwe but it also goes on across England in the form of postal voting. Perhaps a weapons of mass destruction document will be produced by this government next in order to justify the removal of yet another dictator.

Cromwell, Leeds, England

Graham - We do not vote for a leader in this country. We vote for a party to govern by voting for their representative in our constituency

It is the party who decide who leads the party, whether in office or in opposition. To compare his term in office to what Mugabe has done is ludicrous and smacks of not actually having a clue about how the political system in this country works.

Taff, Newport, Gwent

The saddest thing of all for me is that (i) Africa is littered with staunch committed Christians from the past centuries of missionary work, Christians both Black and white; (ii) except for the Roman Catholics the white Christians rushed only at the last moment to belatedly support Nelson Mandela as the first chimes of the new democracy sounded; (iii) the pattern is now repeated as the World's Christians (mostly in the US of A) are hidden away counting their mortgage-crunch losses and joining Mbeki in his colonial-inherited support for his Zimbabwean "brother".

I am a white "brother" born in Cape Town, disgusted by Christianity's worldwide heritage of white silence.

Murray Robertson, Sydney, Australia

If its true that a ship with arms was cleared in S Africa from China
going to Zimbabwe, and if its true that Chinese soldiers in uniform were sighted in Zimbabwe. Please Britain and USA and other countries simpathetic to Zimbabweans whose vote is denied by Mugabe and his Z PF murderes and thugs, help us in any way to wipe out Mugabes regime.

Bitter Zimbabwean in daispora.

dorcas seremwe, calgary, canada

I dislike Gordon Brown as much as the next person and I certainly won't be voting Labour in the coming local elections. But credit where credit is due - the man said the right thing here. Zimbabwe is an issue that will never be resolved at this rate - it will just keep getting progressively worse until there's only one man standing - hopefully Mugabe will be on or near his deathbed by then...

And actually, whatever the history may be, I don't see that it is our responsibility to deal with the situation as the Africans keep stating that they wish to deal with the situation their own way. I will, therefore, await their actions with eager anticipation.

Louise, London,

Didn't more English people vote Tory than Labour at the last election, but Labour got 50 odd more seats.

Does that count as Election Theft ?

Paul Wilson, bristol, uk

because they are busy planning their own rigged elections

TH, London, UK

Let the Africans deal with Africa??? History shows that those in power have no desire to allow free and fair processes which might mean their removal and Mugabe has certainly shown that he is in that mould.
As they did with Ian Smith let the world deal with Zimbabwe and clear this up once and for all

Tony, Melbourne, Australia

At least the odious Mugabe held an election Gordon - you haven't even had the nerve to do that.

J.Wilkes, Gloucester,

To Dean, I agree but then I hope you are happy with the development aid given these leaders. China has just sent a shipload of arms destined for their favourite son Bob Mugabe which is now being held in South Africa.

To Lloyd you must know a whole lot more than the Democrats, you should have shared the knowledge so they could have gone to the Supreme Court and had the election overturned. The USA still has a functioning legal system I believe unlike the Zimbabweans.

Glen, Johannesburg,

the same way the election was stolen from Abel Muzorewa. Remember him Gordon?

GK, Calgary, Canada

Paul, UK

Brown is doing no different from what he has been doing for the past 11 years:

Say one thing (what you think people want to hear) and then do another.

Jon Leigh, Southern, France

Let the Africans deal with Africa and Gordon Brown try and manage the UK.

Ian Blaber, Bribane, Australia

Hurray! Gordon sticks his neck out and finally does the right thing. Been waiting for this moment for a year now.

William McIlhagga, Ilkley,

There is no doubt that Mugabe is 'fixing 'the election results but Brown should be very careful here; the British people were completely denied the right to vote for their leader. For goodness sake don't give this man a gun or his foot will be in real peril.

Graham, UK, UK

Hooray at last Gordon Brown is doing something right!

Who cares what Thabo Mbeki thinks? He has shown himself to be completely toothless, whether by accident or design in dealing with Zim and is a joke on the international stage. Why be afraid of conflict with his corrupt government!? Tell it like it is Gordon and don't be afraid of the old allegations of colonialism! Robert Mugabe is the best advert for the Empire I've ever seen - perhaps it's time now to send some troops in to rescue the decent, honest, hardworking people of Zim who are being ignored by a power-crazy zealot!

Jonathan Main, Kuwait City, Kuwait

I have an idea Mr Brown when Mbeki and Mugabe spit in your face in future give them an extra 300 million pounds to help feed their people their starving masses this is what the British people expect...Right.....WRONG....The SADC is as big a sham as Mugabe the only difference is the SADC use more oxygen . Why do we contribute anything to these Morons who hate us please tell me..

peter k, Vancouver BC., Canada

Zimbabwe is OUR mess - we created it through our empire. We've let this situation with a despot who starves his people go on far far too long. We should be preparing all measures, including military action, to right a generational wrong. I am sick and tired of seeing "rulers" getting rich off the backs of their people while the people starve all over Africa. It seems out leaders only have a moral compass when there's oil involved or they have no political choice at home. From Darfur to Harare I'm disgusted.

Jeremy Cohen, The Hague, The Netherlands

Thabo Mbeki will soon be gone but will his successor be any better. Why do the African leaders find it so difficult to criticize one of their own. Add Mugabe to the growing list of africans who have ruined and plundered their own country. Surely, it's long overdue for the U.N. & the E.U. to get rid of Mugabe and his kind.

Bert O' Flynn, Galway, Ireland

Once you have a 100,000 refugees from a tyranny it should give the host state a mandate to interfere in another states internal affairs. Britain should send a covert task force to eliminate Mugabe and restore democratic rule. It would take about three days. The Zimbabwe military would capitulate and be glad to be rid of the tyrant so long as they maintained their pensions. Really they should be grateful to be spared by any corrective task force.
Britain has an obligation to correct mismanagement by a dictator they installed 27 years ago.
Rhodesia used to be the bread basket of Africa and with rising food prices it could be so again.
Lets have some statesmanship from our politicians not spinelessness.

Keith Bennet, Liverpool, England

Can we please just send in the SAS and help out these poor victims in Zimbabwe? As our former colony we have a duty to put things right.

Paul Davis, York, uk

It does not take rcoket science to figure out why none of the African leaders are reluctant to condemn Mugabe. All over Africa the leaders have plundered the national treasury and rigged elections to some degree and it is very difficult for them to 'cast the first stone'.

navraj arora, Heston, U.K.

Let the Africans be Africans.Its thier continent.

Dean Marshall, Spain,

While he's doing this, can he do something about an election stolen about 8 years ago, the main culprit being Florida???

Wes Byrd, Iowa City, USA/Iowa

On Monday Brown announced that the economy was his "sole focus". With the incompetant Darling around this is understable.

So although I commend him for his comments at the UN I would like to see how that squares with his previous statement.

Pedro - They haven't said anything because they largely see themselves in Mugabe.

Paul , UK, UK

While I feel the situation in Zimbabwe is a total farce, I find it rich that Brown makes these bold statements in the country where in 2000 the election was stolen in front of the world by the Bush empire. Hence I can't help but feel that the comments about demoracy are somewhat hollow.....

lloyd, uK,

Someone please explain why not a single African head of State has criticised the current situation in Zimbabwe?
Some people might draw their own conclusions!

pedro tam, London, U.K.

This is like the Twilight Zone. We have an unelected Prime Minister in Britain (who also broke his party's manifesto promise to give us a democratic referendum on the EU Constitution) lecturing another tinpot despot in Africa about the democratic process and "stolen elections".

Gordon Brown is the last person on earth to lecture anybody about democracy.

Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland