Mugabe rival aides robbed in SA

Mr Tsvangirai is to challenge Robert Mugabe for Zimbabwe's presidency

The driver and aide of Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai were robbed at gunpoint outside his office in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader said he and a colleague were not directly involved in the incident as had been reported earlier.

Mr Tsvangirai is in South Africa to brief foreign journalists about Zimbabwe's elections on 29 March.

He said despite an uneven playing field, the MDC would participate.

The robbery occurred shortly after his arrival on Tuesday in Johannesburg's district of Bryanston, where the MDC has an office in exile.

The robbers stole bags, laptops, mobile phones and money.

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Mr Tsvangirai said that Zimbabweans were living in a dictatorship under President Robert Mugabe, not a democracy and the polls were not going to be free and fair.

But he said the MDC would nevertheless contest the elections, and was running to win.

He welcomed Simba Makoni, the former finance minister, and now a presidential hopeful, to the ranks of the opposition.

He said he would work with anyone who was prepared to close ranks against President Mugabe and the ruling party

But the BBC's Peter Biles says he gave no hint that he and Mr Makoni were about to form an electoral coalition.

He pointed out that Simba Makoni had been a member of Zanu-PF's politburo while the Zimbabwean economy had been destroyed.

Referring to the failed mediation efforts which have been led by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Mr Tsvangirai said Mr Mbeki needed to show courage, and add his voice to those demanding free and fair elections.