Mbeki, Obasanjo envoys in fresh bid to save Mugabe 
	
	
 Staff Reporter 3/28/02 1:22:20 AM (GMT +2) 
	
	
 AFRICAN superpowers South Africa and Nigeria this week stepped up efforts to broker a comprise between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to ward off the crisis of illegitimacy facing controversially elected President Robert Mugabe's new administration. Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo, sensing outright isolation of Mugabe and the refusal by many Zimbabweans and the West to recognise his win, have dispatched African National Congress secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe and prominent West African diplomat Adebayo Adedeji to try to hammer a compromise between ZANU PF and the MDC. 
	
	
 The MDC has also refused to recognise Mugabe's re-election, saying the March 9-11 vote was massively rigged and thousands of its supporters denied the vote. 
	
	
 The two envoys met MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday and Saturday last week and outlined their brief and how they intended to proceed in trying to break the impasse. 
	
	
 They also met the top leadership of ZANU PF, which included national chairman John Nkomo and administration secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa, both heavily tipped to become vice presidents and possible successors to Mugabe. 
	
	
 Mbeki and Obasanjo have given the duo three weeks to come up with a solution that will help bridge the rift between the two political parties and arrest the deteriorating political and economic crisis in the country. 
	
	
 According to sources, the two Zimbabwean political parties were asked to draw up agendas for talks as the first step to finding a compromise to the current crisis. 
	
	
 Diplomatic sources say African leaders are frantically making efforts to bring the MDC on board through the formation of a coalition government in order to facilitate recognition of the Zimbabwean government by the international community and unlock much-needed foreign aid that has been suspended. 
	
	
 The MDC has said it wants fresh elections conducted under international supervision by the United Nations within the shortest possible period. 
	
	
 ZANU PF however wants the MDC to accept the result of the presidential election and join it in a coalition government whose composition is not yet clear. 
	
	
 The sources said the formation of a coalition government being pushed by Mbeki and Obasanjo was the most ideal way to stave off international isolation of Zimbabwe but has been received with mixed feelings by the governing party. 
	
	
 Others say ZANU PF only wants the MDC on board to facilitate international recognition and the financing of its economic recovery programme and land reforms. 
	
	
 It is also believed that some hardliners in ZANU PF want the current treason charges against Tsvangirai to be used as a bargaining chip to arm-twist the MDC leader into a compromise with Mugabe. 
	
	
 The 54-nation Commonwealth, the 15-nation European Union and most of the former Eastern Bloc states, the United States, the Scandinavian countries and most Western states and Japan have refused to recognise Mugabe's re-election saying it was a blatant fraud and marred by state-sponsored violence. 
	
	
 Mugabe has received support from regional leaders as well as Nigeria, Russia, Iran and China.