Latest reports say the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, is tense but quiet. According to Christian Aid partner the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) most humanitarian agencies are taking a wait and see attitude.

Robert Mugabe waved a Bible and made an oath of allegiance before God to Zimbabwe as he was sworn in as president following an election widely dismissed as meaningless. But anti-apartheid hero Archbishop Tutu says he must go.

After years of private anger, masked by a diplomatic commitment not to undermine his successor as South African president, Nelson Mandela has condemned Robert Mugabe's dictatorial regime in Zimbabwe.

Two international ecumenical Christian bodies have called on the UN, the South African Development Community and the African Union "to increase [their] efforts to address the rapidly deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe".

A student Christian leader Zimbabwe has urged the international community to intervene, following the decision of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the presidential runoff, citing escalating violence against supporters.

After weeks of violence, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has announced that he is pulling out of Friday's presidential election run-off, fearing massacres of his supporters and a rigged poll outcome.

Zambian and Zimbabwean Roman Catholic bishops have exhorted the government of Southern African to take much stronger action in pressuring the government in Harare to ensure a credible presidential election in Zimbabwe.

In a joint letter, twelve British church leaders have called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to "redouble" its efforts to ensure fair elections in Zimbabwe, where people are due to vote on 27 June.

In a letter to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has expressed continued concern about the situation in Zimbabwe and asked the world body to utilize its resources to assure an end to pre-election violence in the southern African country and a free and fair election on 27 June.