South African ruling party leader Jacob Zuma called today for African action to resolve Zimbabwe's crisis, amid signs of increasing regional impatience with President Robert Mugabe.
Maritime southern African states refused to allow a Chinese ship carrying arms to landlocked Zimbabwe to unload, in unprecedented action towards Mugabe by long-passive neighbours, including traditional allies.
The action indicated a tougher response by the region, which has been criticised, particularly by the United States, for not doing more to end a three-week delay in issuing results from a presidential election on March 29.
In his toughest comments yet, African National Congress leader Zuma said it was not acceptable. "It's not helping the Zimbabwean people who have gone out to ... elect the kind of party and presidential candidate they want, exercising their constitutional right."
Zuma, who has distanced himself from the "quiet diplomacy" of South African President Thabo Mbeki over Zimbabwe, added: "I imagine that the leaders in Africa should really move in to unlock this logjam.
"Concretely this means African countries should identify some people to go in there, probably talk to both parties, call them and ask them what the problem is, as well as the electoral commission".
Earlier today Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Africa's leaders to acknowledge he won last month's disputed election, and promised an "honourable exit" for President Robert Mugabe.
Tsvangirai, who insists he won the March 29 presidential poll in Zimbabwe, was intensifying his public lobbying for Africa and the rest of the world to intervene more forcefully to resolve the post-election crisis in the southern African state.
His Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party says Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, is attempting to cling to power by delaying declaring the results.
Speaking on the sidelines of a UN trade and development conference in Ghana, Tsvangirai repeated accusations that Mugabe's government had launched a post-poll security crackdown against opposition supporters, killing between 10 and 15, arresting hundreds and driving thousands from their homes.
"Zimbabwe as I speak is burning. President Mugabe and his band of criminals have unleashed violence on the people as a punishment for choosing to vote for change," he told a news conference in Accra.
Zimbabwe's government denies launching a crackdown.
International pressure has been building for Mugabe to announce the poll outcome, but Tsvangirai said more was needed.
But he also had conciliatory words for the veteran Zimbabwean president.
"Robert Mugabe is a liberation hero on our continent and he must be convinced to make a graceful exit. In fact, we have no intention of violating his rights. We believe the time has come for him to have an honourable exit," Tsvangirai said.