London  - The British Foreign Office minister responsible for Africa, Mark Malloch-Brown, will travel to South Africa later this week to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe, the government in London said Tuesday.

A Downing Street spokesman said it was clear that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe could no longer protect the population of his country and that the international community needed to show the people of Zimbabwe their support.

Measures to halt the current cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe would be central to the talks.

The Foreign Office said the international economic crisis would also be on Malloch-Brown's agenda during his tour later this week. No further details were given. (dpa)