PRETORIA (AFP) — President Thabo Mbeki of regional power South Africa will attend a summit this weekend in Zambia on the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe, the government said Thursday.
"South Africa will participate in this summit within the context of regional efforts to assist the people of Zimbabwe to address their political and economic challenges," a statement said.
It gave a reminder that Mbeki was the chief mediator between Zimbabwe's governing ZANU-PF party and the opposition parties in the build-up to the March 29 elections.
It said he had done so "with a view to creating a climate for the holding of the recent elections, which were hailed as peaceful, and whose outcomes would not be contested."
However, 12 days after the presidential poll there has still been no official word on the outcome and ZANU-PF is contesting enough seats to overturn the opposition's slim majority in simultaneous parliamentary elections.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed outright victory in the presidential election, but Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF have said a run-off is needed.
Tsvangirai's party on Thursday ruled out its participation in a run-off and said it planned to form a government of national unity.
Both Tsvangirai and Mugabe are expected to attend Saturday's summit of the the 14-nation Southern African Development Community in Lusaka.
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