South African President Thabo Mbeki is to travel to Zimbabawe for a meeting between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday.
The meeting is amied at finalising a power-sharing deal, a South African newspaper reported today. It is understood the two are not "too far apart", although the central issues remain unresolved, Business Dayreported, citing unnamed sources.
Mr Mugabe said yesterday that the talks were going well, but he dismissed media reports about a draft agreement as nonsense.
Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) began talking more than two weeks ago to defuse a crisis that came to a head after Mr Mugabe was re-elected in a widely condemned June poll boycotted by the opposition.
Business Daysaid the veteran leader, in power since 1980, and Mr Tsvangirai are said to have been in contact several times while the talks continued to seek common ground on the issues of power and positions, the newspaper said.
The two sides are under heavy international pressure, including from within Africa, to resolve a crisis that has ruined the once prosperous economy and flooded neighbouring states with millions of refugees.
Under a draft settlement reported in South Africa's Starnewspaper on Wednesday, Mr Tsvangirai would run the country while Mr Mugabe would become ceremonial president.
A settlement could be a political coup for Mr Mbeki, who has come under domestic and international criticism for not taking a tough line with Mr Mugabe, a strategy he says would only undermine efforts to end the turmoil.
The South African leader will host a summit of regional leaders on August 16th, and this could give him a high-profile opportunity to showcase a hard-fought deal.
Reuters