Harare talks put off again

THE start of full-scale talks to resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis were delayed for a second day yesterday as the main parties' top negotiators had yet to arrive in South Africa, sources said.

The negotiations, initially due to start last Tuesday and already facing a race against time given a two-week deadline, were not now due to begin in earnest until today when all sides are in place in the capital Pretoria.

The delays mean South African President Thabo Mbeki, the chief mediator between Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF and opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), may not be around for the start of the talks as he due to fly out today to attend a European Union summit in southwest France.

Although a spokesman for Mbeki said the talks process had started, sources within the MDC and Zanu-PF both confirmed that senior members of their delegations had yet to fly out of Harare.

"Tendai Biti (the MDC's secretary-general) left this morning, but chairman Lovemore Moyo is still in Bulawayo."The talks are only starting today so he can leave anytime." A Zimbabwean government source also confirmed that Zanu-PF's chief negotiator Patrick Chinamasa was still in the country.

"Minister Chinamasa is still around. He can either leave tonight or first thing in the morning."

Chinamasa, who is also justice minister in President Robert Mugabe's cabinet, told the Herald newspaper it had been agreed with the opposition to begin the talks only when all the delegates were in place. "All parties to the dialogue agreed that talks should begin on Thursday," Chinamasa told the state-run daily.AFP