(AFP) – Jul 11, 2008

PRETORIA (AFP) — Zimbabwe's ruling party and opposition held a second day of talks in South Africa on Friday after the UN delayed a vote on fresh sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime following his one-man election.

The talks, aimed at laying the groundwork for fully-fledged negotiations to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis, were the first since Mugabe won a new term as president in a June 27 poll widely denounced as a sham.

In New York, the United Nations Security Council delayed the crucial vote to slap fresh sanctions on Mugabe and 13 members of his inner circle as opponents of the measures expressed support for the South African-mediated talks.

Held in an undisclosed location in Pretoria, the talks had been kept under wraps as the parties set conditions for negotiations.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change's chief spokesman in South Africa, said Friday afternoon the party's chief negotiator, Tendai Biti, was to return home earlier in the day and "should be" back in Zimbabwe.

Asked whether that meant the day's talks had ended, he said, "it's my understanding the meetings have finished already." He was unable to say whether further meetings were planned, and Biti could not be reached for comment.

The MDC has insisted substantive negotiations could only take place if violence is halted and over 1,500 "political prisoners" are released.

They have also called for an expanded mediation team including an African Union permanent envoy and the swearing in of lawmakers as the opposition now controls parliament.

"Those are the issues, that's the sole agenda. There is no substantive agenda," Mlilo said.

South African President Thabo Mbeki is the region's long-time mediator between the opposition and Mugabe's ruling party.

South African government officials -- though not Mbeki himself -- were involved in Thursday's discussions in the capital Pretoria, said presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga.

"They (talks) are going on, yes they are taking place," said Ratshitanga, confirming the second day of talks had begun on Friday.

ZANU-PF was represented by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Labour Minister Nicholas Goche, and the MDC by secretary-general Biti and deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma.

The ruling party has refused comment on the talks.

Mugabe was re-elected in last month's run-off after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out, citing a wave of attacks against his supporters that killed dozens and injured thousands.

On Friday, the MDC said a total of 113 supporters had now been killed in politically related violence.

Among the most recent victims was a polling agent, Gift Mutsvungunu, whose body was found in a suburb of Harare on Thursday after he was reported missing last week, the MDC said.

The UN's refugee agency also said Friday increasing numbers of people have fled Zimbabwe since the June 27 vote, and several have shown signs of beating or torture.

Tsvangirai confirmed in a statement that the MDC would set pre-conditions for further talks at the Pretoria meeting.

The UN Security Council vote on the US-drafted sanctions resolution scheduled for Thursday was cancelled as opponents of the measures instead wanted to extend support to the South African-mediated talks.

"We have been seeing efforts under way by the African Union and the (14-nation) SADC (Southern African Development Community) and we think those efforts should be supported," said Vietnam's UN ambassador Le Luong Minh, who chairs the council this month.

The fresh sanctions, which would include an assets freeze and a travel ban on Mugabe and 13 of his allies, as well as an arms embargo, have been pushed forward despite opposition from South Africa, which says dialogue is the answer to the deadlock in Zimbabwe.

Russia, China, Libya and Indonesia have also raised objections, with Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin warning the sponsors that rushing a vote could have "unpredictable" consequences.

On Thursday, UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that Zimbabwe's rival parties "would be able to come out with some mutually acceptable political solution whereby we can bring and see peace and stability and the humanitarian situation into normalcy."

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