The death toll from cholera in Zimbabwe has soared to 1000 with another
18,413 suspected cases.

Last Updated: 7:08AM GMT 16 Dec 2008

The country's capital Harare is the worst-hit district, with 250 deaths
and 8,454 suspected cases, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of
Humanitarian Affairs said.

Beitbridge, which border South Africa, was also badly affected. Some 100
people in the border town have been killed by the disease, while 3,546
are suspected to be suffering from it.

The latest toll came even as the United States and Britain were expected
to lobby the UN Security Council to turn up the heat on Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe.

But Harare has vowed to thwart western efforts to put Zimbabwe on the
Security Council agenda, saying it was not a threat to international
security.

The South African Red Cross has sent medical supplies to Zimbabwe, and
has issued an appeal for funds to treat a total of 30,000 people.

The UN has said it estimates up to 60,000 people may eventually be affected.

On Thursday, Mr Mugabe gave a nationally televised speech saying the
outbreak had been contained.

"I am happy to say our doctors are being assisted by others, and the WHO
[World Health Organization] have now arrested cholera."

He has accused Western powers, including Zimbabwe's former colonial
ruler Britain, of using the cholera outbreak as a pretext to invade the
country and overthrow him.

"Now that there is no cholera, there is no cause for war," he said.

Other high-ranking officials have accused Britain of deliberately
spreading cholera.

In a separate development, neighbouring Botswana has denied a Zimbabwean
accusation that it was involved in a plot to overthrow Robert Mugabe's
government.

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