In this Sunday's first reading the prophet Isaiah proclaims glad tidings to the poor and liberty to captives. As the people of Zimbabwe, trapped in poverty and virtual political captivity, suffer a growing cholera crisis, world aid organizations and church and political leaders are starting to call for the forcible removal from power of President Robert Mugabe.

The World Health Organization said Sunday that close to 14,000 cholera cases had been reported in the African nation, and 589 people had already died. This week the United Nations Children's Fund in Zimbabwe said it was preparing to deal with a possible 60,000 cases of cholera in coming weeks.

Raila Odinga, the Kenyan prime minister, urged the African Union to call an emergency meeting to authorize sending troops into Zimbabwe and said Mugabe's actions deserved investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, the second highest figure in the Church of England, said: "The time to remove them from power has come. Robert Mugabe and his henchmen must now take their rightful place in The Hague and answer for their actions."

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak endangered the whole of southern Africa. "I am still really appalled at the inability of the international community to deal with tyrants. Robert Mugabe should have gone a long time ago," she said.

Zimbabwe Health Minister David Parirenyatwa spoke against politicizing the outbreak. "Cholera affects everyone and it does not chose between Zanu-PF and MDC supporters," he said, referring to Mugabe's party and the Movement for Democratic Change led by his rival Morgan Tsvangirai.

Source: Articles by Tristan Stewart-Robertson for The Scotsman, Agence France Press, and Ekklesia.co.uk