Mugabe dissolves his cabinet

President Robert Mugabe has dissolved his cabinet, a long overdue move following his re-election in March.

A major overhaul is not expected when a new cabinet is announced on Monday.

According to Zimbabwean law, the president should have appointed a new cabinet within 30 days of the election, which was condemned by international and local observers as deeply flawed.

Opposition officials have sharply criticised the increasingly authoritarian Mugabe for ignoring that and other laws.

State radio says Mugabe will work on finalising the new Cabinet over the weekend.

Mugabe has accused Western nations of hypocrisy for criticising his plans to seize white land and give it to blacks despite their own histories of racism.

He was responding to calls by the United States, Australia and New Zealand for further international action against his regime.

Mugabe says such countries with a record of "genocide when they exterminated whole communities" had double standards over human rights, the radio says.

Walter Kansteiner, US assistant secretary of state for Africa, said earlier this week his officials were working with other countries in the region on ways to encourage Zimbabweans to force free and fair elections.

"The question is what are the tactics that we can use to work with those inside Zimbabwe, as well as their neighbours, to encourage a more democratic outcome," Kansteiner said.