SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma arrived in Harare on Thursday for talks with Zimbabwe's leaders in the hope of easing tensions within the strained unity government.
President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara greeted Zuma at the airport, where he received a 21-gun salute and his signature song, the anti-apartheid anthem Umshini Wami (Bring Me My Machine Gun), was played.
After greeting officials on the tarmac, the three leaders left for an official dinner at Mugabe's residence.
Zuma was due to hold talks with the leaders later in the evening.
He will officially open the Harare Agricultural Show on Friday.
21 gun salute ... Zuma and Mugabe
Before leaving South Africa, Zuma said he would discuss concerns over Zimbabwe's unity government raised by Tsvangirai, when he meets leaders during a two-day visit.
"I am going to Zimbabwe on invitation," Zuma told reporters in parliament.
"But of course the fact of the matter is the Prime Minister had come here to raise certain issues," he said. "Certainly I will also have to raise those issues with the leaders in Zimbabwe."
Tsvangirai visited Zuma earlier this month and complained about a crackdown on members of his Movement for Democratic Change, including arrests of its lawmakers and harassment of ordinary members.
Zimbabwe's political rivals formed a unity government in February in a deal brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki. But they remain deadlocked notably over the appointment of the Reserve Bank Governor and the Attorney General.
Mugabe's Zanu PF party, however, blames western sanctions for undermining the government and sees the MDC concerns as a distraction, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said earlier on Thursday.
"Our position is very clear. We hope our principal, President Robert Mugabe, tells President Zuma that the outstanding issues are that of sanctions and external interference," said Chinamasa, Mugabe's lead negotiator in the unity talks.
Chinamasa insisted that his party had met its obligations under the unity accord, known as the Global Political Agreement, and dismissed concerns raised by the MDC, the erstwhile opposition party that is now a partner in the unity government.
"The so-called outstanding issues, which are the issues of the (Central Bank) governor and the attorney general, are nowhere in the Global Political Agreement," he told AFP.
"This is meant to distract attention from the inclusive government," he said. "There is continued external interference in our private affairs.” - Sapa-AFP