By Nelson Banya
HARARE (Reuters) - African National Congress leaders haveurged President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party to negotiate withthe opposition, a sign South Africa's ruling party may play abigger role in Zimbabwe's political crisis.
Kgalema Motlanthe, the ANC's deputy president, called fortalks after he and ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe metwith Mugabe in Harare on Wednesday, Zimbabwe's state-controlledHerald newspaper reported on Thursday.
"He said ANC also supported the SADC (Southern AfricanDevelopment Community) and AU (African Union) positions thatdialogue between ZANU-PF and the opposition parties was theonly way to address the challenges facing Zimbabwe," the papersaid.
"Unity of our people is paramount. It is a precondition fordevelopment," Motlanthe is quoted as saying when asked whethertalks were key to solving the crisis over Mugabe's June 27run-off election victory, which Western nations branded a sham.
Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeatedMugabe in a March 29 poll but fell short of the absolutemajority required to avoid a run-off.
Tsvangirai withdrew from the second ballot, citing violentattacks by pro-Mugabe militia. The MDC said 103 of itssupporters have been killed in the violence. Mugabe blames theopposition for the bloodshed.
The MDC leader also has refused to recognise Mugabe'slandslide victory in the run-off or hold talks with thegovernment as long as the June election is allowed to stand.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has been mediating theZimbabwean crisis for more than a year but has failed to make abreakthrough. His involvement has come under growing scrutiny,with the MDC arguing that he is biased in favour of Mugabe.
Tsvangirai has frosty relations with Mbeki and has demandedthat the AU appoint an envoy to help with any future mediation,a move that is seen as an attempt to dilute the South Africanleader's influence or freeze him out.
ANC leader Jacob Zuma, who defeated Mbeki for theleadership of the party in December, has been a vocal critic ofMugabe's government. ANC involvement in the mediation processcould spur Tsvangirai's MDC to return to the bargaining table.
But there remains sharp disagreement as to the framework ofany talks, with Tsvangirai demanding the March elections beused as the basis for negotiations and Mugabe saying theopposition must accept his re-election.
The United States and Britain want international sanctionsimposed on Mugabe and his top officials and an arms embargo onZimbabwe. They are expected to offer a draft resolution callingfor the restrictions in the U.N. Security Council this week.
Russia, which has a veto in the Council, has expressedmisgivings about the resolution, while African nations firmlyoppose it, saying it could derail a negotiated settlement inZimbabwe.
(Writing by Paul Simao; Editing by Mary Gabriel)
