Mugabe urged to confess his 34 sins while in Rome

President Robert Mugabe should use his trip to the Vatican City to confess his sins, a former diplomat has said.

Mugabe left the country for Rome on Friday to attend a ceremony at which Popes John XXIII and John Paul IIwere made saints.

The president was accompanied by his wife Grace who was last month barred from Brussels as she is on the EU targeted sanctions over human rights abuses. The Vatican is not a member of the EU.

Former diplomat and Mugabe critic Clifford Mashiri said instead of just shopping and enjoying the attention of the new Pope Francis, who "last year raised his eyebrows, shook hands and bowed his head when he greeted him," Mugabe should use this opportunity to confess his sins.

Mashiri says Mugabe should confess to at least 34 sins, which he has committed during his 34-year reign.

"These include accusing the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference in April 2011 of spreading lies when it condemned violence perpetrated by Zanu-PF supporters.

"Mugabe also allowed his partisan bishop Nolbert Kunonga to wreak havoc in the Anglican Church, leading to the murder of 89-year old Anglican priest Jesca Mandeya by security operatives," Mashiri added.

The former diplomat also accused Mugabe of intolerance, bad governance, imposing himself on the people in spite of losing elections, as well as tyranny and brutality.

"All these are sins against the people of Zimbabwe which he should confess during his stay at the Vatican," Mashiri added.

Mugabe regards himself as a Catholic and has been in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II as well as his beatification in 2011.