It is thought that Zuma will assess the country's readiness for an election, which could take place next year.

President Mugabe and old rival Tsvangirai, united in government a year ago, but they remain at odds over several key issues and have struggled to turn around Zimbabwe's battered economy.

The crisis in that country has forced close to three million Zimbabweans to flee across the border to South Africa, where they live as refugees.

Zuma is in Harare to "facilitate the removal of obstacles which hinder the full implementation of a power-sharing deal", according to unnamed officials.

Meanwhile, Zambian leader and chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes, Rupiah Banda has held an emergency consultative meeting with African Union (AU) chairperson and Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika.

The talks by the two neighbouring leaders focussed on the on-going peace process in the Great Lakes Region.
According to Foreign Affairs in Lusaka, the consultative talks between Banda and Wa Mutharika were “highly progressive and successful”.