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Possibly Mugabe's last moments

                     By Blesssing Chapwati & Simbarashe Chikanza 10-08-08

Zim political leaders locked in talks

The three principals and negotiators in Zimbabwe's power sharing talks met on Sunday in Harare to iron out sticking points in the negotiations that are being led by South African President Thabo Mbeki who arrived late Saturday.

The three principals first met President Mbeki in separate meetings and later convened a joint meeting.

Sources close to the discussions say President Mbeki wants to assess the positions of the respective parties on outstanding issues during the meetings.

A deal is expected to be struck by end of Sunday but it is still unclear whether there could be any signing of a power sharing agreement although sources close to the meeting have confirmed that the signing could be held.

The meetings are being held ahead of Monday's heroes day holiday meant to honour those who died in the liberation war that brought Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980.

Talks began last month in the aftermath of Mugabe's re-election unopposed in June in a poll condemned around the world and boycotted by Morgan Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters.

The Sunday Mail, a state weekly reported that negotiators had reached agreement on key issues and Mbeki's meetings on Sunday would focus on hammering out details of a new government.

"Issues with the structure and scope of the new government are likely to take centre stage," The Sunday Mail newspaper said.

The paper added that negotiators for the ruling and opposition parties had already resolved issues related to land and other matters.

Zimbabweans and neighbouring countries hope an agreement could end years of political turmoil and revive an economy whose collapse has spilled millions of people across Zimbabwe's borders.

Zimbabwe's economy has been on a free fall in the last 10 years with an estimated annual inflation that has gone over the two million percent mark, the world's highest.

The regional and international community has piled pressure on Zimbabwe's political leadership to find a solution to the country's deepening crisis which has resulted in severe food shortages, 80 percent unemployment.

Zimbabwe has been without a seating parliament since the March 29 results and is currently running under a caretaker government.

Hope is high for the talks to pull out a positive deal that should see a government of national unity to run until the next elections in five years time.