Johannesburg - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is the "21st Century Hitler," an Anglican bishop in neighbouring South Africa said Thursday.

In a statement calling for churches to pray for Mugabe's forced removal, the Anglican Bishop of Pretoria Joe Seoka said: "Mugabe must be viewed as the 21st Century Hitler, a person seemingly without conscience or remorse, and a murderer."

Seoka blamed Zimbabwe's neighbours for protecting their "comrade in dictatorship."

"I believe it is now an opportune moment for all the church leaders to follow the retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, to call on God to cause the removal of Mugabe from the office of the President of Zimbabwe," he said.

"The church in South Africa has done this before with the apartheid regime and there is no doubt that God will hear our prayers even today." (dpa)