The United States criticised Africa for lack of action on Zimbabwe yesterday and South Africa shifted its stance to express concern for the first time over a post-election deadlock.
"It is time for Africa to step up," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a news conference in Washington. "Where is the concern from the African Union and from Zimbabwe's neighbours about what is going on in Zimbabwe?" African reaction has been subdued to events in Zimbabwe, where a 19-day delay in issuing results of a presidential poll has fuelled fears of violence, although regional leaders called last weekend for the outcome to be announced quickly.
The continent has largely taken its cue from South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has insisted on a soft diplomatic approach to Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, despite the catastrophic collapse of Zimbabwe's economy.
Morgan Tsvangirai, who is challenging Mr Mugabe for the post of President, yesterday said that Mr Mbeki was no longer fit to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis and he had asked for a completely new regional initiative by the Southern African Development Community (SADC). "President Mbeki needs to be relieved from his duty," Mr Tsvangirai told a news conference in Johannesburg, adding that Mr Mugabe had "unleashed an orgy of violence against the people" after the election.
Mr Mbeki led failed SADC mediation last year and has played down the gravity of the post-election deadlock.
Mr Tsvangirai suggested that there may need to be a special United Nations tribunal to judge crimes committed in Zimbabwe.
"I think the current wave of violence against the people must stop and the only way to stop is that those who are committing those crimes must know that they must be answerable one day," he said.
The South African government made a major policy shift, calling for the results to be issued rapidly and saying it was concerned by the delay. "The situation is dire," government spokesman Themba Maseko said yesterday in Cape Town. "When elections are held and results are not released two weeks after, it is obviously of great concern." Mr Mbeki had previously said the electoral process must take its course and there was no crisis after the elections. His stance was seen as backing Mr Mugabe over the delay.
Although Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party lost control of Parliament for the first time in the vote, no results have been released from a presidential poll.
"The Zimbabweans need to be informed about those reasons for holding the results. But the most important thing is that the results need to be verified and released as soon as possible," Mr Maseko said, briefing reporters on a Wednesday Cabinet meeting.
The government of regional power South Africa had previously hesitated to join international expressions of concern about the delay in issuing the result of the vote, in which the opposition says Mr Mugabe was defeated.