Zimbabwe talks 'making progress'

Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties have been holding crisis talks

Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks are making significant progress, says South Africa, which has been mediating the crisis negotiations.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has been mediating between the country's ruling and opposition parties after Robert Mugabe was re-elected in June.

Senior members of Zimbabwe's security forces have travelled to South Africa to meet the mediators, reports say.

On Wednesday, the two parties issued a call for an end to post-poll violence.

A deadline to complete the talks passed on Monday without any news of a deal.

"The government as the mediator will not be giving any details about details of the talks except to say that they are progressing extremely well," South African government spokesman Themba Maseko said at a news conference.

'Obstacles'

But sources close to Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were sceptical, saying many obstacles remained, they told the BBC.

Members of Zimbabwe's Joint Operations Command, a body that includes Mr Mugabe's top security chiefs, met with two South African government officials mediating the talks, South Africa's Star newspaper reported.

The meetings occurred this week, the paper said, citing unnamed sources, but did not say which members of the command travelled to South Africa.

On Wednesday, the Star said a draft agreement was being circulated under which opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would run Zimbabwe as prime minister and Mr Mugabe would serve as a ceremonial president.

The South African talks have been held at a secret location and are subject to a media blackout.

Mr Mugabe won a run-off presidential election in June after Mr Tsvangirai pulled out because of a campaign of violence against his supporters.

Last month, the two rivals agreed to hold crisis talks after meeting for the first time in a decade.