Windhoek — Government should act on Zimbabwe and urge its President, Robert Mugabe, to release the results of the presidential election held three weeks ago, a local civil society umbrella body has demanded.

Ronny Dempers, who chairs the Namibian Non-Governmental Organisation Forum (Nangof), on Friday said the delay in announcing the election results had not only reached unacceptable proportions, but was illegal in terms of the Zimbabwean constitution. "Withholding the presidential results will provoke frustration and anger of the Zimbabwean people, which may lead to violence and civil unrest," Dempers said in a press statement.

If no solution was found to the situation in Zimbabwe, the whole southern African region would be affected negatively, Nangof stated.