Africa shows impatience on Zimbabwe crisis

South Africa's ruling party leader yesterday called for a new African initiative to solve Zimbabwe's crisis, as neighbouring states showed increasing impatience with President Robert Mugabe.

In what analysts said was unprecedented action towards Mr Mugabe by his long-passive neighbours, including traditional allies, maritime states around landlocked Zimbabwe all refused to allow a Chinese ship carrying arms to the country to unload.

South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) leader Jacob Zuma made his toughest comments yet on the three-week delay in announcing the results of Zimbabwe's March 29 presidential election. In an interview with Reuters in Berlin he said:

"It's not acceptable. It's not helping the Zimbabwean people who have gone out to... elect the kind of party and presidential candidate they want, exercising their constitutional right."

Mr Zuma, who has distanced himself from the "quiet diplomacy" of South African President Thabo Mbeki over Zimbabwe, added: "I imagine that the leaders in Africa should really move in to unlock this logjam.

"Concretely this means African countries should identify some people to go in there, probably talk to both parties, call them and ask them what the problem is, as well as the electoral commission".

Mr Zuma toppled Mr Mbeki as ANC leader last December and has gradually boosted power at the expense of the President.

The comments helped lift the rand currency, as traders welcomed Mr Zuma's readiness to take a lead on Zimbabwe after concern over the impact of the crisis on Africa's biggest economy. Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on African leaders to acknowledge that he won the election and said Mr Mugabe would be allowed an honourable exit.

He said Africa's reputation would suffer "serious disrepute" if it allowed Mr Mugabe to stay in power despite losing the vote.

China said earlier that it may have to bring its vessel home after it was unable to unload in southern African ports.

Zambia, which has been one of the more critical countries in the region over a crisis that has wrecked Zimbabwe's economy, urged neighbouring states to bar the An Yue from entering their waters, saying the weapons could deepen the election crisis.

Zambia is chair of the regional group SADC (Southern African Development Community).

The Chinese ship was unable to unload in its original destination of Durban on the Indian Ocean coast after trade unions - which are allies of Mr Zuma - refused to handle the cargo, saying the weapons could be used against the opposition.