Mugabe UN exit call suicidal

Opposition parties and political analysts yesterday described President Robert Mugabe's threat to withdraw Zimbabwe's membership of the United Nations (UN) as "suicidal".  

They added Zimbabwe's comatose economy could not sustain itself without aid from international bodies.

Yesterday, the parties said that the pull-out would trigger unmitigated suffering, disease outbreaks and deaths through the collapse of the health sector, water and sewer reticulation systems, which were largely funded by multilateral donors through UN agencies.

Analysts said Mugabe was further alienating Zimbabwe through his reckless comments by accusing other African leaders of cowardice, at a time his financially-hamstrung government is struggling to implement capital projects without donor assistance.