Mugabe declares cholera epidemic over

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe declared Thursday the cholera outbreak ended, a rebuke to international health reports on the disease's grip on the nation.

Mugabe said the country's doctors corralled the outbreak, which the World Health Organization said Thursday killed at least 783 people and infected more than 16,400, The Times of London reported.

"I am happy to say our doctors have been assisted by others and WHO ... so now that there is no cholera," Mugabe said in a nationally televised speech.

Meanwhile, South Africa declared its border with Zimbabwe a disaster zone Thursday because of the crush of people trying to cross the border either to flee the disease or seek medical treatment unavailable because of Zimbabwe's dismal economy and healthcare system, the British newspaper said.

Mugabe tied international concern about his country's situation to what he considers a plan to oust him from power, the Times said. World leaders -- including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.S. President George Bush -- have called for international humanitarian aid to help Zimbabweans and for the embattled president to step down.

"Because of cholera, Mr. Brown, Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. Bush want military intervention," Mugabe said. "Now that there is no cholera, there is no need for war."

Mugabe's critics said his policies wrecked the Zimbabwean economy and led to the deaths of thousands of people. Mugabe is deadlocked with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai over implementing a power-sharing governance agreement.