Page last updated at 10:38 GMT, Wednesday, 24 December 2008

Tutu accuses S Africa over Mugabe

Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu said he was ashamed of what the UN had done

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has accused South Africa of losing the moral high ground by failing to stand up to Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner told the BBC that using force should be an option to get rid of Mr Mugabe.


And the UK foreign secretary described Mr Mugabe a "stain" on Zimbabwe.

'Deeply distressed'

Archbishop Tutu also said he was saddened that his own country appeared not to be on the side of Zimbabweans.








Descent into chaos



Mr Miliband was responding to a Times leading article that said the Foreign Office believed it would be a mistake for Britain to get tough with Mr Mugabe.

In his letter to the newspaper, the foreign secretary reaffirmed the UK's view that Mr Mugabe had to go.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

"Any sane person realises that Mugabe's misrule is only spurring Zimbabwe's descent into chaos," he wrote.

"But your leading article channelled frustration at his continued abuse of power into an attack on the FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] without logic, fact or justification."



In his Christmas message, ANC leader Mr Zuma said: "The new year must bring a speedy resolution to this utterly untenable situation."

The United Nations meanwhile says it might take up to six months to control Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak, which has now killed 1,174 people.

Unicef spokesman Roeland Monasch said the number of cholera cases had now increased to nearly 24,000, spreading to all 10 of Zimbabwe's provinces.

Mr Monasch said 5% of cases were proving fatal, a very high rate compared with other cholera outbreaks.

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