South Africa and Nigeria have stepped up diplomatic efforts to avert Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth over President Robert Mugabe's disputed election victory.
Diplomatic sources said efforts were under way to arrange a meeting in Harare on Monday between the leaders of Africa's two most powerful countries and Mr Mugabe.
The goal would be to fix an African political compromise before a meeting of the so-called "troika" of Commonwealth leaders in London on Tuesday who have been asked to devise a response to the election.
The US, Britain, Commonwealth observers, local pro-democracy groups and Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's opposition Movement for Democratic Change all said Mr Mugabe's re-election in the poll was unacceptably flawed.
African governments have mostly endorsed his victory.
Zimbabwe's state-owned Heraldnewspaper said presidents Mr Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Mr Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria would not be attending Mr Mugabe's inauguration tomorrow.
But they would be in Harare on Monday ahead of the meeting of the Commonwealth troika on Zimbabwe. Mr Mbeki and Mr Obasanjo are members along with Australian prime minister Mr John Howard.
Commonwealth analysts believe the three leaders will not advocate collective sanctions against Zimbabwe. Mr Howard was likely to favor some form of suspension which Mr Mbeki would oppose, leaving the deciding vote to Mr Obasanjo, they said.