Mbeki confident Zimbabwe elections will run smooth

Mbeki said nothing indicated obstacles ahead of the Zimbabwe polls

President Thabo Mbeki has expressed confidence that the Zimbabwean presidential and parliamentary elections this month will go smoothly as planned.

Speaking to the media at the end of his visit to Mauritius last night, Mbeki said nothing indicated obstacles ahead of the polls. He said foreign observer missions will be in Zimbabwe to monitor the elections.

Zimbabwe police say Zanu-PF supporters have been responsible for more than half of the cases of politically motivated violence in the run-up to the March 29 elections. The police commissioner responsible for elections, Faustino Mazango, says 16 out of 30 acts were committed by Zanu-PF supporters and 14 by opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters.