Mbeki set fro Mugabe talks in Bulawayo

Mbeki set fro Mugabe talks in Bulawayo

TALKS: Mbeki set to meet Mugabe in Bulawayo

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By Nelson Banya

SOUTH African President Thabo Mbeki will meet Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe on Wednesday for talks ahead of next week's presidential election run-off, Mbeki's spokesman said.

South African ruling party leader Jacob Zuma, using his bluntest language to date over Zimbabwe's election, said he was not expecting a fair vote.

"I think we'll be lucky if we have a free election," Zuma told Reuters. When asked if he thought the vote would be fair, Zuma replied "I don't think so."

Mbeki has led regional mediation efforts in Zimbabwe's increasingly violent crisis and has drawn criticism for his diplomatic approach to Mugabe, who faces opposition challenger Morgan Tsvangirai in the June 27 vote.

Mugabe's Zanu PF is accused by the opposition, Western countries and human rights groups of orchestrating a campaign of violence ahead of the vote. The opposition says at least 66 people have been killed. Mugabe blames his opponents.

Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, told Reuters that Mbeki would meet Mugabe on Wednesday. He said he did not know what would be discussed at the meeting in Zimbabwe's second-biggest city Bulawayo.

"I know that he's going to be meeting President Mugabe. I'm not aware of any other meeting that he's going to have," Ratshitanga said.

Zimbabwe's state-owned Herald newspaper said Mbeki would "discuss the forthcoming presidential election run-off and the campaigns."

Zuma, who defeated Mbeki for the African National Congress leadership last December, has taken a much tougher line on Zimbabwe than Mbeki.

Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) leader Tsvangirai won a first round in March, but without enough votes to secure an outright victory, official results showed.

Mugabe, 84, has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980. His support has waned amid a desperate economic crisis that has brought hyperinflation and food shortages and has driven millions of Zimbabweans to seek work abroad.

The MDC leader has been repeatedly detained and released during the election campaign and one of his top lieutenants has been arrested and faces a treason charge.

The head of the Pan African Parliament observer mission, Marwick Khumalo, said on Wednesday the group had heard "horrendous" reports of violence, in contrast to the run-up to the March election.

"It is unfortunate that violence has come up in this manner. Instead of focusing on the smoothness of the electoral process like what happened in March, violence has taken over," he told reporters.

Britain and the United States urged Mugabe this week to allow a broader international observer mission. Monitors from countries critical of Mugabe have been banned from observing the election. - Reuters
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