South Africa said today it will withhold aid for Zimbabwe until a representative government is in place.
In what seems to be the first punitive measure by a regional country to enforce a power-sharing agreement, South African also said it was "extremely concerned" about Zimbabwe's political impasse which has deepened a humanitarian crisis.
The tough statement came as President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) prepared to hold another round of talks in South Africa next week to seek a breakthrough while political tensions are rising.
The sides will review President Robert Mubabe's plan to unilaterally form a unity government, an opposition official said today. The state-run Heraldnewspaper also reported the meeting.
Mugabe's Zanu-PF is trying to push through a constitutional amendment allowing him to name a cabinet, a move that could lead to the unravelling of a September 15th power-sharing agreement with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The MDC has refused to enter the government, accusing Mugabe of trying to take the most powerful ministries and freeze out the MDC. Negotiations have led to a two-month deadlock over formation of a cabinet.
The draft amendment bill was completed this week by Mugabe's Zanu-PF and sent to the MDC and Mr Mbeki.
An official with a smaller MDC faction confirmed that representatives of Zanu-PF and the MDC will attend a meeting next week with former South African president Thabo Mbeki to discuss the matter.
Mr Mbeki has been mediating Zimbabwe's crisis since early 2007.
The power-sharing agreement, signed after intense mediation by Mr Mbeki, is seen as Zimbabwe's best chance of reversing a deep economic slide, highlighted by inflation of 231 million percent and chronic food and fuel shortages.
Critics accuse Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, of ruining the country, but the 84-year-old leader says the economy has been sabotaged by forces opposed to his nationalist stance.
The MDC has said it plans to offer its own amendment to Mugabe's draft bill at the meeting in South Africa. It also has called for the reconvening of parliament to oversee the executive in the meantime.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won a joint presidential election but without the majority to avoid a run-off with Mugabe. Tsvangirai boycotted the second round because of violent attacks on his supporters and Mugabe breezed to an easy victory.
The key area of contention in the deadlocked cabinet talks is control of the home affairs ministry, which oversees the police. The 15-nation regional group SADC said at a summit earlier this month the post should be shared, but the MDC refused that suggestion.
Reuters