SOUTH AFRICA SLAMMED ON ZIMBABWE!

South Africa comes in for criticism from the African press for its role in Zimbabwe, facing accusations of inaction, indifference and having a "quasi-imperialist agenda".
Elsewhere, a Kenyan title sees Zimbabwe, formerly a "shining hope" for Africa, descending into anarchy, while a Nigerian daily says Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has turned into "a monster".
But some papers in Zimbabwe itself hit out at what they regard as the country's enemies, accusing the BBC of racism and Tony Blair and George Bush of not wanting to leave office while Mr Mugabe is still in power.

ALAIN BALAGEAS IN ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWZIMBABWE
South Africa's persistence in its policy of 'quiet diplomacy' has revealed its double standards to Africa and the world... Its inaction on Zimbabwe... raises eyebrows... It is plainly a case of a sinister quasi-imperialist agenda, masquerading as 'diplomatic engagement' on their part that they seek to entertain in order to perpetuate their interests and hegemony as the chief politico-economic power edifice in the region... The ANC-led government in Pretoria simply couldn't care less about who runs Zimbabwe.

RHODA KADALIE IN SOUTH AFRICA'S INDEPENDENT BUSINESS DAY
Support for Robert Mugabe has more to do with SA's solidarity with a former liberation leader than its so-called non-interference stance on sovereignty. No matter how dictatorial its rule, Zanu-PF knows it can rely on SA for support because its identity as a former liberation movement seals its survival regardless of the atrocities it perpetrates against its own people... Equally, its support for communist China on Burma is in line with a foreign policy that has consistently supported pariah states such as Libya and Iran against countries that value human rights, good governance and democracy. It finds it so easy to condemn Israel on the grounds of human rights and self-determination, invoking similarities with the apartheid state, but when it comes to Zimbabwe and Burma, its forked-tongue agenda becomes nauseatingly transparent.

SOUTH AFRICA'S INDEPENDENT CAPE ARGUS
21 March 1960, looms large in South Africa's history as a milestone in the quest for freedom.. On that day police opened fire on a crowd of people that had gathered at the police station in Sharpeville... Surely - given the awful history that is embodied by that day in 1960 - we should never turn a deaf ear to the cries of others whose rights are trampled upon... Freedom is indivisible, including that involving our neighbours and fellow Africans in Zimbabwe, who are routinely beaten for exercising their rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly. In these circumstances, silence is not a sign of statecraft but, rather, of complicity and consent.

STEVEN FRIEDMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA'S INDEPENDENT BUSINESS DAY
Government's failure to take a clear enough stand against heightened tyranny in Zimbabwe is not an aberration. It illustrates a pattern in our foreign policy: that, whatever our goals in the world may be, supporting democracy elsewhere is not one of them. We have repeatedly ignored Zimbabwe's desire for democracy... Why would a government that owes its existence to a fight for democracy not support it energetically abroad? ... Supporting democracy beyond our borders is not a luxury that hampers our chances of getting on in the world - it is a necessity that is in our national interest.

KENYA'S INDEPENDENT DAILY NATION
The unfolding events in Zimbabwe in the past few weeks illustrate the depths of repression and political intolerance raging in a country that once stood as a shining hope for Africa. The brutal attacks on opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai and a few others slightly over a week ago, and the violent events that followed meant Zimbabwe is sliding fast to anarchy.

NIGERIA'S INDEPENDENT VANGUARD
It is sad that Mugabe who started on a bright note has in the twilight of his life turned into a monster that could go to any length to remain in power.

JOHN ITESHI IN ZIMBABWE'S INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWZIMBABWE
Racism, the worst kind of racism, is the only reason for the British media's obsession with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe... It seems to me that the only reason the white world is against Robert Mugabe is because he expelled white farmers... It is now clear to me that BBC and other British media are far worse than the British National Party (BNP) which is labelled racist. The BNP is not threatening the existence and survival of the black race while British journalists are... Zimbabwe is by far more democratic and successful than most other black African countries... but today it bears the ignoble reputation of being one of the worst places to live in!.. It is purely and squarely about race!

ZIMBABWE'S GOVERNMENT HERALD
It is easy to see why the gloves are off, the MDC's godfathers; George W. Bush and Tony Blair are running out of time; with the former expected to leave office in June, while Bush is in the final months of his tenure. Both men are not keen to go while their nemesis Cde Mugabe remains, they would rather have him go; if not to justify their ruinous foreign policies, at least to have him as a trophy in light of their glaring failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.

BBC NEWS REPORT.