South African President Thabo Mbeki and the African Union's top diplomat will meet this Friday to discuss the political crisis in Zimbabwe, an Mbeki spokesman said today.
Officials from Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) met last week for the first time since President Robert Mugabe's June 27th re-election, which was boycotted by the opposition and condemned by Western nations.
South Africa's government is mediating the talks in Pretoria.
"The president called the meeting in order to brief Mr (Jean) Ping on developments in the Zimbabwe facilitation process," Mr Mbeki's spokesman said. He added they would meet on Friday.
Mr Ping is the most senior permanent AU official.
The MDC has downplayed the importance of talks with the Zanu-PF and demanded that Mr Mugabe's government halt violence against opposition supporters and recognise MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's victory in a March poll.
Mr Tsvangirai won a March 29th election but failed to win the absolute majority required to avoid a second ballot. The MDC leader withdrew from the run-off citing a wave of attacks by pro-Mugabe militia.
The MDC said 113 of its activists have been killed in election-related violence.
Mr Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, has blamed the opposition for the bloodshed.
The AU has urged both sides to negotiate a power-sharing deal that would pave the way for a unity government, which is seen by many African leaders as the only way to avert further violence and total economic collapse in Zimbabwe.
Reuters