SA President Mbeki Meets With Mugabe For Crisis Talks

July 5, 2008 2:25 p.m. EST

Harare, Zimbabwe (AHN) - South Africa's President met with his Zimbabwean counterpart and the members of a breakaway faction of the main opposition party in Harare to resolve political crisis.

SA President Thabo Mbeki's post-election visit to Zimbabwe is considered to play an important role in convincing the re-elected President Robert Mugabe to form a nationally united government.

While, Opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai refused to meet with Mbeki, who has been the chief regional negotiator on the Zimbabwe crisis.

In the biggest set-back to the political scenario in Zimbabwe, the opposition party had decided to pull out of the presidential election run-off to be held of on June 27.

The step was taken following the rising violence on the supporters of MDC party from the members of Zanu-PF party, the ruling bloc led by President Mugabe.

Early on Saturday, a video footage emerged showing a prison guard and fellow prison officers were forced to vote for the ruling bloc in front of superior officers.

Shepherd Yuda, a prison guard who secretly filmed the vote-rigging for Guardian Films, has now fled Zimbabwe, according to the reports.

Last month, the United Nations Security Council indicated that it was not satisfied with Zimbabwe's decision to hold presidential elections even after the opposition leader quit the second run-off.

But President Mugabe decided to go ahead with the elections, which the UN suggests are not free and fair, as he is assured of victory.

The UN Security Council also indicated that Zimbabwe's elections may not be illegitimate.

MDC reported that around 5,000 of its members are still missing and around 103 of its supporters have been killed in the post-election violence

The 84-year-old Mugabe has tried to maintain pressure on his regime to gain more votes in the June 27 election and had been desperately looking to get re-elected and to preserve his 28-year regime on power.

The Southern African Development Community has urged to SA President Thabo Mbeki to hold meetings with Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

But so far on Saturday, he has been able to meet with the president and Arthur Mutambara, head of Zimbabwe's dissident Movement for Democratic Change faction.

Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have been displaced after the country's presidential and parliamentary elections.