Mbeki urges fair Zimbabwe vote

Mugabe is seeking re-election in March

PRETORIA, South Africa (Reuters) -- South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Monday that southern African leaders must do all they could to help the people of Zimbabwe ensure their presidential election in March was free and fair.

"The instability has gone on for far too long. The levels of poverty and conflict are increasing, and if you add to that a fraudulent election, it has to be avoided," Mbeki told journalists after talks with German President Johannes Rau.

"The critical challenge is to do whatever needs to be done to make sure you have free and fair elections. We, this region, must do everything to assist the people of Zimbabwe," he said.

He did not elaborate on what the region would do, but called for peace ahead of the March 9-10 election in South Africa's northern neighbour.

Rau, on a four-day visit to South Africa, said conflict-torn Zimbabwe had topped his talks with Mbeki, and expressed his concern at the lack of regard in Zimbabwe for individual rights and the rule of law.

"They are very much threatened, and I think that in itself poses a threat to the African continent as a whole," he said.

Many opposition supporters have been attacked

Zimbabwe is in a deep political and economic crisis, and President Robert Mugabe, its leader since independence from Britain 22 years ago, is trying to win re-election.

Human rights monitors accuse Mugabe of condoning violence and of using the police, army and the judiciary to ensure victory.

On Sunday the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said 20 people were injured and thousands teargassed as police and militants from Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party broke up a rally organised by the MDC in the city of Bulawayo.

Police denied attacking the party, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai is challenging Mugabe in the March elections, and said they had intervened only to break up fighting between rival groups.

Mugabe promised African leaders at a special summit in Blantyre, Malawi, last week that he would reverse his earlier decision to ban foreign observers and journalists from the country during the election campaign and the vote itself.