Zimbabwe strike flops

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE (Reuters) - An opposition general strike to demand the release of Zimbabwe's delayed election result flopped on Tuesday and the ruling party in neighboring South Africa called the situation "dire".

Fears of a crackdown by President Robert Mugabe's government and the desperate need of many Zimbabweans to make enough money to survive in a collapsing economy undermined the strike.

It was the second setback in two days for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) -- which says it has won the election -- after a High Court judge on Monday refused to order the release of the presidential result.

But calls to announce the outcome of the March 29 vote won powerful backing from South Africa's ruling African National Congress, which said there should be no further delay.

A statement from the ANC's executive National Working Committee said the situation was "dire, with negative consequences" for all of southern Africa.

The prolonged uncertainty over events in Zimbabwe hit South Africa's rand currency on Tuesday, which fell to its lowest level in five days.

"The comments coming out with regards to the ANC and Zimbabwe ... I think that's one of the reasons it has weakened. The uncertainty of Zimbabwe is definitely around," a trader said. South Africa's power crisis also hurt the currency.

There have been increasing signs in the ANC of impatience with President Thabo Mbeki's "quiet diplomacy" on Zimbabwe since he was replaced as party leader by Jacob Zuma last year.

Mbeki, who led unsuccessful mediation by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) last year, said before a summit of the group last weekend there was no post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

The ANC committee said Mbeki "needs to observe a neutral position" in his role as mediator.

Reflecting international concern, the White House said U.S. President George W. Bush had raised Zimbabwe's post-election crisis with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday, saying it had dragged on too long and should be resolved peacefully.

ZANU-PF lost control of parliament for the first time in a parallel vote on March 29, and the MDC accuses Mugabe of trying to buy time to organize a violent response to his biggest setback since coming to power in 1980.

BUS BURNED

Police said they arrested 30 MDC supporters on Tuesday for blocking roads, attacking vehicles and coercing people not to turn up for work. They also said two buses were attacked on the outskirts of Harare. One was burned and another stoned but there were no serious injuries.

The MDC's strike call was unheeded in many places.