Mandela criticises Mugabe’s failure

He has vowed to proceed with Friday’s presidential run-off election despite the pullout of his main opponent because of political violence that has left 85 Opposition supporters dead and more than 3,000 injured. Mugabe appeared determined to tough it out despite the foreign pressure, his lack of a majority in parliament and a collapsed economy.

Addressing a dinner in London, Mandela decried the “tragic failure of leadership” in Zimbabwe. “We look back at much human progress, but we sadly note so much failing as well,” he said, mentioning conflicts in West Asia, Iraq and Darfur to the audience that included former President Clinton, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and actor Robert DeNiro.

“Nearer to home,” Mandela continued, “we had seen the outbreak of violence against fellow Africans in our own country and the tragic failure of leadership in our neighbouring Zimbabwe.”

Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke out in stronger terms telling Australian television that Mugabe had “mutated into something quite unbelievable. He has really turned into a kind of Frankenstein for his people”.