ANC says action needed to prevent Zimbabwe disaster

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Action is needed to avoid disaster in Zimbabwe and regional leaders should push its authorities harder for the release of delayed election results, South Africa's ruling ANC said on Tuesday.

A top official of the African National Congress said crisis was evident in Zimbabwe, in sharp contrast to President Thabo Mbeki's position after talks with President Robert Mugabe at the weekend that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe.

"We don't want to prophesize disaster, we don't want disaster, we think pre-emptive action should be taken to avoid disaster," ANC treasurer general Matthews Phosa was quoted as saying by SAPA news agency.

Results from Zimbabwe's March 29 presidential election have still not been released. The opposition says it beat Mugabe and accuses him of holding up publication to buy time to fight back. His ZANU-PF party lost control of parliament in a parallel vote.

Phosa said regional leaders should do more to solve the stalemate.

"I think we should not delay. We should put more pressure on the government of Zimbabwe and the electoral commission to release results to ensure the voice of the people of Zimbabwe is heard."

Mbeki's critics say his cautious approach has failed.

The ANC's decision-making National Working Committee said after a meeting on Monday that Zimbabwe's electoral deadlock showed the country was in a state of crisis.

"The ANC regards ZANU-PF as an ally. However it is concerned with the state of crisis that Zimbabwe is in and perceives this as negative for the entire Southern African Development Community region," ANC spokeswoman Jesse Duarte said after the committee meeting.