Mbeki expected in Zim

2008-09-06 08:00

Harare - SA President Thabo Mbeki was expected in Harare next week to help revive stalled power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's ruling party and the opposition MDC, a minister said on Friday.

"President Mbeki is expected here next week for the resumption of the ongoing negotiations facilitated by SADC (Southern African Development Community)," deputy information minister Bright Matonga told AFP.

He did not give any further details or a precise date.

Mbeki's spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, told AFP that he was unaware of the visit.

Earlier on Friday, Zimbabwe's main opposition party appealed for help from the regional bloc SADC to re-start the talks as President Robert Mugabe threatened to form a new cabinet.

Talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, whose MDC holds a parliamentary majority, were deadlocked in mid-August over Mugabe's desire to retain control of the country's security forces, according to the opposition.

Last ditch attempts to revive the negotiations by Mbeki, who is mediating in the crisis on behalf of SADC, failed last week.

Tsvangirai rejected a power-sharing deal that would have seen security ministries reporting to Mugabe and economic and social ministries to himself, the MDC leader told SA radio on Wednesday.

- AFP