Zuma slates Zim poll crisis

London - Zimbabwe's electoral crisis is "not acceptable", said the president of the African National Congress, Jacob Zuma, on Wednesday after meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

But, Zuma disagreed with the idea of an arms embargo on Zimbabwe, which was supported by Brown just hours earlier in parliament.

"We talked about Zimbabwe, the difficulties and challenges that are facing the people of Zimbabwe and I think we are all agreed that the situation is not acceptable as it stands and that something must be done to address the impact on Zimbabweans," he told reporters outside Brown's 10 Downing Street office.

Brown earlier gave his backing for a block on weapons to President Robert Mugabe's government because of the "unacceptable" delay in announcing the results of the March 29 vote and reports of election-linked violence.

But, Zuma said: "I wouldn't say that issue is an issue that we need to debate already. I don't think we've reached that stage where we have to call the arms embargo."

Violence in Zim 'not acceptable'

Brown was convinced of the need for Africa to take the lead on Zimbabwe, said Zuma after the meeting, which lasted just under an hour.

Zuma said in a BBC radio interview earlier that election-linked violence in Zimbabwe was "not acceptable" and it would be "totally out of order" if poll officials have been detained.

"We must intensify the intervention to ensure that Zimbabweans, helped by all of us, resolve their problems," he told the BBC. "That means intensifying the interventions in whatever way. I'm not here to prescribe."

Asked about reports of violent gangs beating up and evicting people who did not vote for Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, he said: "I think that is the case, so far as the reports are concerned, that the situation has turned violent.

"I've publicly said that is not acceptable."

When asked to what extent Mugabe would be responsible, he replied: "I'm not certain whether I should stand there and really condemn people."

Zuma blamed the delay in publishing the poll results on the electoral commission, saying it was "not Mugabe's job" to pronounce the winner.

"Of course if they (electoral officers) have been arrested that's totally out of order," he added.

He rejected suggestions that President Thabo Mbeki had not done enough to put pressure on his Zimbabwean counterpart and said he was happy with Mbeki's handling of the situation.

Mbeki, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) lead negotiator on Zimbabwe, has been criticised for initially saying there was "no crisis" there.

"We are doing something more than anybody else. Other people are doing absolutely nothing," Zuma said. "President Mbeki is a mediator, he is totally different from any other person.

'Won't affect South Africa'

"You cannot have a mediator who takes sides, who stands and criticises. Of all the leaders, Mbeki is the only one who can give a report of what he has been doing in Zimbabwe."

On potential knock-on problems for the region, Zuma added: "Zimbabwe is our neighbour, what is happening in Zimbabwe is not going to affect us. It can't in South Africa because our fundamentals of democracy are very firm in a sense."