President Thabo Mbeki will travel to Harare, Zimbabwe, on Monday as part of ongoing Southern African Development Community (SADC) mandated facilitation work, the department of foreign affairs said.
“In this regard, the president is expected to meet with leaders of Zimbabwe’s political parties involved in the negotiations,” said department spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa.
The president will be accompanied by members of his facilitation team, said Mamoepa.
Talks between President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, whose Movement for Democratic Change holds a parliamentary majority, deadlocked in mid-August over Mugabe’s desire to retain control of the security forces.
The talks are being brokered by Mbeki on behalf of SADC, a 15-nation bloc.
Mbeki’s trip to Harare comes after Mugabe threatened to form a cabinet if Tsvangirai delayed signing a document to pave the way for a power-sharing deal.