Carter shocked by Zimbabwe crisis

Former US President Jimmy Carter has said the crisis in Zimbabwe is "far worse" than he had imagined.

Mr Carter is one of a group of world leaders, known as the Elders, who were refused entry visas for Zimbabwe to assess the humanitarian situation.

He was speaking in Johannesburg after talks with South Africa's leaders.

Zimbabwe's rivals are to meet on Tuesday in South Africa to salvage a power-sharing deal, South Africa's president has announced.

The head of the country's ruling African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, said the situation in Zimbabwe was beyond "wait and see". "We have got to act and act now," he said.

In a joint statement, the Elders - a group set up to tackle world conflicts - said the scale of the crisis "must be acknowledged and addressed by Zimbabwe's leaders".

They also urged neighbouring countries to act immediately to tackle the problems of cholera and refugees.

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