'Zimbabwe's saddest Independence Day'

Morgan Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe yesterday

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says today is the saddest Independence Day in Zimbabwe. Today marks 28 years since Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980.

President Robert Mugabe is set to address the main celebrations in the capital Harare. Results from last month's presidential elections are still outstanding, almost three weeks after the poll. Tsvangirai says there is nothing to celebrate. "Zimbabwe is among the worst humanitarian case of the new century, Zimbabweans have no food, no schools and hospitals because of Mugabe's policies" says Tsvangirai.

Yesterday President Mugabe urged hundreds of youths to defend the country against what he called British imperialism. He said the British were trying to divide the people of Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile Tsvangirai has called on Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to lead new mediation efforts to resolve the election crisis. Tsvangirai yesterday said President Thabo Mbeki should be relieved of his duties as mediator, as the new initiative will expand beyond him.

Executive Director of Research at Unisa, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, says Tsvangirai's call for Mbeki to recuse himself as mediator is nothing but an expression of frustration.