No deal reached yet in Zimbabwe talks

Zimbabwe's ruling party and the main opposition have not yet reached a power-sharing agreement, an opposition spokesman said yesterday.

President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have been trying to reach a deal to end the post-election political crisis that has crippled Zimbabwe.

"There is no deal yet," George Sibotshiwe, a spokesman for MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, said without elaborating.

Mr Tsvangirai said earlier yesterday that power-sharing negotiations being held during a regional summit were going "very well".

South African President Thabo Mbeki said leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) group of countries' political, security and defence committee would continue talks on Zimbabwe after the summit, which has ended.

SADC leaders wanted "a speedy conclusion" to the negotiations, said Mr Mbeki, whom the grouping has mandated to mediate in the Zimbabwe talks.

The negotiations began last month after President Mugabe was re-elected unopposed in June, in a vote condemned around the world and boycotted by Mr Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters.

Neither Mr Tsvangirai nor Mr Mugabe, in power since 1980, seemed to be budging on the issue of who will run Zimbabwe, which is in dire need of a leadership that can rescue its shattered economy.