Zimbabwean crisis talks in South Africa have been delayed as the chief ZANU-PF negotiators have yet to leave Harare.
Representatives of the ruling party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change were meant to begin negotiations after signing a historic pact yesterday.
Thabo Mbeki's spokesman said this afternoon that the Pretoria talks, given a tight two week timeline, were now expected to begin 'in earnest' on Thursday.
Zimbabwean government sources said Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Labour Minister Nicholas Goche, the chief negotiators for the party, had been in a cabinet meeting all afternoon and were not now expected to fly until tomorrow morning.
Mr Mugabe's government and the opposition had been deadlocked over talks since the Zimbabwean leader was re-elected on 27 June in a poll boycotted by Mr Tsvangirai because of violence against his supporters. Mr Mugabe blames the opposition for the violence.
The establishment of a government of national unity will be the main issue in the talks, although both sides differ on who should lead it and how long it should stay in power.
The African Union and the Southern African Development Community, both concerned by a crisis that has flooded neighbouring states with millions of refugees, have pushed for a power-sharing deal.
Prospects for talks between Zimbabwe's rivals appeared to change late last week when Mr Mbeki agreed to expand the mediation process to include the AU, the UN and other officials from the SADC as a 'reference group'.
Mr Tsvangirai had previously refused to enter formal talks unless government militias stopped violence he says has killed 120 of his supporters.
He also wanted Mr Mugabe to recognise his victory in the first round of the presidential poll on 29 March.
