Harare — THE new South African government has formally informed Sadc that it will fully support former president Mr Thabo Mbeki's mediation in Zimbabwe.

Newly-installed President Kgalema Motlanthe has officially notified Sadc Executive Secretary Dr Tomaz Augusto Salomao on his government's position and the confidence it has in his predecessor.

The South African government website yesterday quoted President Motlanthe as saying: "Mr Mbeki's facilitation efforts in Zimbabwe have proven his dispassionate vision for a lasting political solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe.

"Accordingly, our government has full confidence in Mr Mbeki's ability to build on the historic successes already made in the power-sharing negotiations under his mediation. Therefore, we will further fully support him as the facilitator."

The announcement comes days after Mr Mbeki had indicated his willingness to continue as the mediator at a farewell party held for him by the Presidency staff last weekend.

Both the African Union and Sadc endorsed Mr Mbeki's continuation as the mediator in the Zimbabwe issue.

There were fears from some quarters that the stepping-down of Mr Mbeki as South Africa's president last month would negatively impact on his mediation efforts in Zimbabwe.

Mr Mbeki is the Sadc-appointed facilitator in the talks and under his mediation efforts Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations signed a power-sharing agreement on September 15 that paved the way for an inclusive Government.

Yesterday the MDC-T said it had not requested Sadc and the AU to intervene in the negotiations to finalise the allocation of the remaining four ministries following reports, which have since been dismissed, that there was a deadlock.

The opposition party said it wanted to give local mediation efforts a chance. "We have to exhaust all available domestic remedies first," MDC-T spokesperson Mr Nelson Chamisa said.

Sadc and the AU are the guarantors of the power-sharing agreement.

On Wednesday Zanu-PF chief negotiator Cde Patrick Chinamasa, who is also the Minister Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, dismissed reports of an impasse and that the parties had asked Mr Mbeki to intervene.

"I don't think that the issue of allocation of ministries is a matter that can be referred to the facilitator. We cannot, at the slightest difference in opinion, call outsiders to mediate."

On Monday, President Mugabe said a new Government would be in place before the end of the week.