Mugabe: West exploiting cholera in bid to oust me

THE death toll from Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic neared 600 yesterday and President Robert Mugabe’s government accused western powers of exploiting the outbreak to force the veteran leader’s departure.

The African Union (AU) made clear it did not back calls for much tougher action on Zimbabwe, saying only dialogue could solve the country’s problems and that sending in troops would achieve nothing.

The spreading cholera, food shortages and economic collapse in the southern African country have prompted new demands from western countries for Mugabe to quit.