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The question is how many more Bishops, Archbishops, Doctors, Civic Societies, Ambassadors, Charge d'Affaires, teachers, government officers, and very ordinary women and men of honour will it take to persuade Mugabe that enough is enough...?!

Following a visit to Zim by the South African Bishop's conference, Aid to the Church in Need have made a $30,000 emergency grant and are planning to send $250,000 to Zim this calendar year.

The president of SACBC, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, Bishop of Johannesburg, and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, Bishop of Durban, heard “first-hand accounts of systematic intimidation, violence and torture” when they visited the country last week. (Read full article)

David Blair writing in The Telegraph on Friday paints a stark picture for the forseeable future of Zimbabwe.

To understand Robert Mugabe's speeches is to grasp what might unfold in Zimbabwe. Earlier today, the old dictator made a stinging attack on his own Zanu-PF party, labelling his political movement "passive, lethargic, ponderous" and "divided".
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Countless thousands of Zimbabweans are now paying the price.

Those who know South Africa will know it has always attracted migrants seeking work. While many in South Africa are shocked as we all are by the post-election terror in Zimbabwe, they alos recognise it is fuelling the xenophobia in their own country. Brian Townsend writing in The Times (South Africa) makes the point.

Zimbabwe situation is the root of xenophobia problem
I read the article, “Is this the new SA?” (May 13), on the savage treatment of foreigners, mainly from Zimbabwe, with horror and disgust. However, I feel that the root cause of the problem has not been addressed.

The fact that the unacceptable situation in Zimbabwe has been left to fester is nothing short of criminal.

It has resulted in millions of people crossing our borders in search of safety and a better life.

I lay the responsibility to have done something about the situation firmly at the feet of our president.

Thabo Mbeki’s quiet diplomacy has been the joke of the world.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise that the millions of people coming into this country are seeking employment to survive and that the unemployment problem in our country is being exacerbated.

Our president didn’t see this coming and now the chickens are coming home to roost. (Read full letter)

It is an exercise for the reader to understand that Mbeki's handling of the governance issue in Southern Africa is not going down well. There is pleny to read in The Times.