PROTESTERS marched through Southend to voice their opposition to the regime of Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe.

The group of 50 Zimbabweans met outside the Civic Centre on Sunday before marching through the High Street.

They were part of a national protest.

In London, a man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit, with a mask of Mugabe. He handed out gifts labelled death and cholera, because of the outbreak of the disease in the African country.

In Southend, the march was led by Stanford Biti, brother of Tendai Biti, who is the general secretary of the opposition in Zimbabwe, Movement for Democratic Change.

Stanford said: “We think there may have been thousands of deaths from cholera already, but there are now so many places which are inaccessible so nobody can get any true figures.

“But if you’ve got cholera and have any money at all, your first priority is to get out of the country and to get medical treatment.”

He was responding to comments from Home Secretary Jacqui Smith who said she feared an influx of refugees trying to escape the epidemic.

While his brother risks prison in Africa, Stanford is organising Movement for Democratic Change rallies in the UK against the regime of Mugabe.

On Sunday, protests braved a freezing wind with a protest which started with African songs.

Among the singers was Florence Tofa, 25, of Elmer Avenue, Southend, who is the chairman of the Movement for Democratic Change’s youth branch.

She said: “Who will rescue our country from the killings and abductions, who will take us out of this and force Mugabe to step down?

“We have cried enough. We want him taken down because we cannot go home while Mugabe is in charge.”