Southern African leaders including newly installed President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa were continuing discussions late Monday in Harare with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai in a bid to rescue the country's power-sharing process, badly deadlocked over cabinet assignments.
Mr. Motlanthe and three other heads of state or government of the Southern African Development Community - Mozambicanpresident Armando Guebuza, Swaziland Prime Minister Barnabas Dlaminiand Angolan Foreign Minister Assuncao dos Anjos, who sit on SADC's troika or committee on politics, defense and security - heard briefings from Mr. Mugabe, Tsvangirai and crisis mediator Thabo Mbeki, Motlanthe's predecessor.
The assumption among observers was that SADC officials would be leaning heavily on all the principals to reach a compromise as to the allocation of ministerial portfolios in the national unity government envisioned in a Sept. 15 power-sharing accord. Analysts said the presence of Mr. Motlanthe, both as executive of Africa's economic powerhouse and current SADC chairman, might lend additional weight to SADC suasions.
Earlier Monday, policefired tear gas to disperse students, women and other protesters tryingto approach the venue of the talks, loading demonstrators ontotrucks along with bystanders waiting in line at nearby banks, as Fazila Mahomed reported.
Women's Coalition Chairwoman Emilia Motawutold VOA that scores of women were beaten and arrested. Shesaid the women wanted to demonstrate peacefully calling for Zimbabwe's political leaders to put the interest of the country before politics.
Motawu said women wanted the impasse to end because their families are hungry.
The Zimbabwe NGO Rights Forum condemned the arrests and beatings.