Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), spoke out yesterday against events in neighbouring Zimbabwe in the first sign of a possible split over his country’s much criticised policy towards Robert Mugabe.

Mr Zuma, South Africa’s president-in-waiting, did not openly criticise his arch-rival, the incumbent Thabo Mbeki, but said that a ten-day delay in announcing the results of Zimbabwe’s presidential election on March 29 was “wrong”. “I don’t think it augurs very well,” he told the state broadcaster SABC. He added that it was wrong to keep the nation and international community “in suspense”.

By voicing his criticism, Mr Zuma, who was speaking a day after he held a surprise meeting with Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, took the biggest step yet by a senior South African politician away from Mr Mbeki’s “quiet diplomacy”, which has attracted much international ire.

With the mood in the region now one of extreme pessimism, Mr Mbeki’s carefully laid plans for ensuring that the poll was representative of the will of the people appeared to be in tatters. Mr Tsvangiria has claimed outright victory but the ruling Zanu (PF) says that there is no clear winner and has endorsed Mr Mugabe, 84, to contest a run-off vote.

Mr Mbeki, mandated by the region as the main mediator for Zimbabwe, has so far only urged patience on the international community and claimed that he had assurances from both sides to take part in a run-off should no clear winner emerge.

Aubrey Matshiqi, a respected political analyst, said: “Mugabe is completely impervious to both external and internal pressure. That needs to be taken into account when approaching this problem, which he [Mbeki] manifestly fails to do.”

At a meeting of world leaders in Britain last weekend, Mr Mbeki reportedly came under pressure from Gordon Brown and Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister, to lay down the law to Mr Mugabe. Mr Brown also called for “proper international monitoring” of any vote. Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General, has urged the electoral commission to release the results.

Times Recommends

• Would you live on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall?
• Wish you were here, says Iraq tourist board
• Russian policeman’s corruption plea to Putin