Zimbabwe has been bombarded with increasingly strident international calls, including from South Africa for the first time, to come clean on disputed presidential election results.
The South African cabinet called the situation ‘dire’ and urged release of the results of the 29 March poll as soon as possible.
Meanwhile US Secretary of State Condoleezza Ric called on 'Africa to step up.'
’Where is the concern from the African Union and from Zimbabwe's neighbours about what is going on in Zimbabwe?’ Ms Rice said.
The European Commission called for the immediate release of results, saying further delay would be unacceptable.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, ‘We are trying to convince all the partners and most of all Zimbabwe's neighbours, that the absolute minimum would be to publish the results of the election.’
Amid the international criticism, South African President Thabo Mbeki has come under fire for being too lenient towards Robert Mugabe, who is alleged to be fighting against relinquishing power he has held since 1980.
Mr Mbeki, named by countries in the region to mediate with Zimbabwe, had insisted after meeting Mr Mugabe in Harare last week that there was ‘no crisis’ in the country and said people should simply wait for the results in due course.
His government, however, took a tougher line today. ‘When elections are held and results are not released two weeks after, it is obviously of great concern,’ spokesman Themba Maseko said. ‘The situation is dire and requires further facilitation.’
Earlier Zimbabwe's opposition called for Mr Mbeki to be ‘relieved of his duties’ as mediator in Zimbabwe after last month's elections.
‘We want to thank President Mbeki for all of his efforts but President Mbeki needs to be relieved of his duties,’ Morgan Tsvangirai told reporters in Johannesburg.
Mr Tsvangirai said that he had made a request to Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, the current chairman of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to begin a new mediation effort.
Court defers vote recount hearing
Meanwhile the high court in Harare has deferred hearing a legal bid by the main opposition party to stop a recount of ballots in the disputed elections.
The postponement until tomorrow, the second in a week, was agreed to by both lawyers for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the country's electoral commission after the opposition filed a fresh petition seeking to nullify any new results that may arise from the vote recount slated for Saturday.
