Foreigners 'should remove Mugabe'

Archbishop Ncube says 10% of Zimbabweans are Mugabe spies

Foreign governments should intervene to remove President Robert Mugabe, says a Zimbabwean Roman Catholic Archbishop.

"We have to choose between two evils," Archbishop Pius Ncube told the BBC.

"A government which is ready to sacrifice the lives of its own people, or bringing it down at the risk of being called imperialistic."

The archbishop has previously said he would be ready to die leading street protests, but he says Zimbabweans are too afraid to try to oust Mr Mugabe.

Zimbabwe's opposition says its activists are often arrested for no reason, tortured and even killed, while elections are rigged by Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

"You can't mobilise when one out of every 10 Zimbabweans is a spy for Mugabe," Archbishop Ncube told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

During the Gukurahundi campaign, Pius Ncube witnessed the suffering and was desperate to speak out Profile: Turbulent archbishop

He was quoted in the UK's Sunday Times as saying former colonial power Britain should intervene to remove Mugabe but he told the BBC that any "strong" country should do so.

In May, Mr Mugabe warned Roman Catholic bishops they were on a "dangerous path" if they become too political.

He was responding to an open letter published over Easter, in which they warned of a mass uprising unless free elections are held.

"Many people in Zimbabwe are angry, and their anger is now erupting into open revolt," the letter said.

Mr Mugabe is a Catholic - the largest single religious group in the country.

Zimbabwe has the world highest rate of inflation - 3,700% - and just one adult in five has a regular job.

Mr Mugabe blames the worsening economic crisis on a Western plot to remove him from power.