Hopes high for power-sharing Zimbabwe deal

South African president Thabo Mbeki, mediating in Zimbabwe’s post-election crisis, will travel to Harare today amid growing optimism a power-sharing deal can be reached between the ruling party and opposition.

A statement from South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said Mbeki would meet President Robert Mugabe and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) head Morgan Tsvangirai.

ZANU-PF and MDC began talking more than two weeks ago to resolve a crisis that came to a head after 84-year-old Mugabe was re-elected in a widely condemned June poll boycotted by the opposition.