Southern African officials are to meet to try to help Zimbabwe's rival parties end a deadlock on forming a new government, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said.

Speaking after four days of inconclusive talks mediated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Mr Tsvangirai said his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party would not walk away from negotiations despite the difficulties.

Mr Mbeki said an agreement was still possible.

"I wouldn't say it's a deadlock. Negotiations are continuing. The matters are capable of solution quite easily," Mr Mbeki said.

Officials from Swaziland, Mozambique and Angola, representing the Southern African Development Community, will meet in Swaziland on Monday to try to find a way of overcoming the stalemate.

"We call upon the SADC and the AU (African Union) to use their collective wisdom to help unlock the deadlock," Mr Tsvangirai said.

The power-sharing deal brokered by Mr Mbeki a month ago is seen as Zimbabwe's best hope for rescuing an economy where fuel and food are scarce and inflation stands at 231 million per cent, the world's highest.

Mr Mugabe, who has held power since 1980, said the talks were derailed.

"It went very well in the wrong direction," Mr Mugabe said.

Mr Tsvangirai beat Mr Mugabe in a March 29 presidential election but fell short of enough votes to avoid a June run-off, which was won by Mr Mugabe unopposed after Mr Tsvangirai pulled out, citing violence and intimidation against his supporters.

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