MANDELA'S BOLD STEP

Rips Mugabe as 'Tragic Failure'

(Blogger's note: It is the time that everyone joins Nelson Mandela in condemning the democratic failure in Zimbabwe and the brutality of Mugabe and his followers... Chuck Blazer)

LONDON (Post Wire Services) - Nelson Mandela lashed out at Robert Mugabe's oppressive and corrupt government yesterday, in his first public comments on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

The former South African president, addressing a dinner gathering in London, where he's celebrating his 90th birthday, said there is a "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe.

Mandela had been criticized for his failure to condemn the regime of Mugabe - who, like him, was a black revolutionary leader who replaced a white minority government.

Also yesterday, Queen Elizabeth II stripped the tyrannical Mugabe of his ceremonial knighthood, in a highly unusual move meant to show Britain's revulsion at his violent regime.

The queen acted on the advice of Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who said Mugabe should have the royal honor revoked because of widespread bloodshed and intimidation of Zimbabwe's opposition leader and party members before the presidential runoff tomorrow.

Britain, the former colonial ruler of Zimbabwe, and the United States have said they won't recognize the election results because opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has withdrawn his name in order to stop the violence.

Mugabe was appointed Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Bath in 1994.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that Britain no longer recognized Mugabe as Zimbabwe's legitimate leader.

"This action has been taken as a mark of revulsion at the abuse of human rights and abject disregard for the democratic process in Zimbabwe over which President Mugabe has presided," Britain's Foreign Office said.

Independent human-rights groups say 90 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes since Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential election on March 29, but did not gain an outright majority.

Tsvangirai, who withdrew his name from the ballot on Sunday, has taken refuge at the Dutch Embassy in the capital city of Harare.

Yesterday, he said the outcome of the final vote would not be accepted either by Zimbabweans or the world and called for the African Union, backed by the United Nations, to intervene.

Mugabe, 84, is now certain to be elected to extend his 28-year rule.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu also called for peacekeepers to be sent to Zimbabwe.