Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai Thursday welcomed the outcome of Wednesday's meeting of the presidents of America and South Africa, and urged South African President Thabo Mbeki to ensure formal talks between the opposition and government in Zimbabwe begin "within days, rather than weeks".

Tsvangirai's statement was a marked contrast to his comments on Wednesday when he accused Mbeki of giving U.S. President George W. Bush "false and mischievous" information by stating that President Robert Mugabe' s ruling ZANU(PF) and Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change were "engaged in discussions of all the issues" around the country's crisis.

However, Tsvangirai repeated that there had been "no formal negotiations" between the two parties since formal talks broke down n May last year.

There had been emissaries from churches, civic groups and African states, including South Africa, he said, but "none of these has succeeded." Observers say that the pro-democracy leader has hastened to repair the likely damage caused by his angry remarks on Wednesday, following Bush's strong endorsement of Mbeki's leading role in bringing an end to the Zimbabwean crisis.

Three-and-a-half years of lawlessness and violent repression by Mugabe to fend off looming defeat at the polls by the MDC has brought the country to economic collapse, rapid impoverishment, famine and the abandonment of the rule of law.

Critical shortages of basic items from fuel to banknotes are part of daily life, while inflation of over 300 percent has swept basic commodities out of the range of ordinary Zimbabweans.

At the same time, Mugabe's regime continues its campaign of violent intimidation, harassment and illegal detention of MDC supporters.

The state-controlled daily Herald newspaper Thursday quoted Mugabe's propaganda department as saying Bush's "fleeting and perfunctory references to Zimbabwe" on Wednesday were "a loud climb down by a president all along misled, but who now leaves the region better enlightened about issues at stake." Significantly, it made no mention of Mbeki's controversial assertion that the two Zimbabwean parties were in negotiation.

Since May last year, Mugabe has refused to talk to the MDC unless it abandons its court challenge to his disputed victory in presidential elections in March last year.

Most Western governments and independent election observers back the MDC's assertion that Mugabe rigged the election through violent intimidation, fraud and disenfranchisement of thousands of voters in pro-MDC areas - Sapa-DPA.