Charities angry at Tory plan to use aid as weapon to topple Mugabe

Third world charities reacted angrily last night to a Tory demand for all Western aid to Africa to be tied to President Robert Mugabe's removal from power in Zimbabwe. They said the move, when the south of the continent faced its worst famine for a decade, would inflict extra suffering on some of the world's poorest people.

Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory leader, and Michael Ancram, the shadow Foreign Secretary, have backed a link between aid and action against the Mugabe regime.

Their call followed the revelation that Tony Blair will be speaking on 2 September at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, only an hour before President Mugabe's address.

Mr Ancram said yesterday: "Money for investment in Africa through the New Partnership for Africa's Development, which is supposed to be tied to good governance in Africa, must now relate to seeing a change in the government of Zimbabwe."

But Judith Melby, of Christian Aid, said: "There are millions of people suffering from floods and droughts. These are the people we are trying to help.

"If you look at people really suffering in neighbouring countries like Mozambique, Zambia and Angola, there's no justification for penalising them." In a joint statement, Save the Children and Oxfam condemned any suggestion that the recently agreed programme of help for Africa should be made "hostage to the unfolding situation in Zimbabwe".

Brendan Paddy, of Save the Children, said: "You cannot make Western approval of the way African countries are run a precondition of aid."

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, denounced the Tory plan as "particularly ill-considered". He said: "Not only would it hinder attempts to isolate Mugabe, but its cruel effect would be to punish the whole of Africa for the sins of one man. It would push back the prospects for a continent which has suffered for so long from hunger, mismanagement and disease."

* Mr Mugabe sacked his cabinet yesterday and said he would spend the weekend forming a new "government team". No reason was given.