SAfrican leader wants to keep Mbeki on Zimbabwe

South Africa's new president says he wants his ousted predecessor to continue working to bring political factions in neighboring Zimbabwe together in a unity government.

President Kgalema Motlanthe says in a statement released Thursday that he is confident Thabo Mbeki can build on "the historic successes" of his mediation effort so far.

Zimbabwe's opposition leaders and its President Robert Mugabe signed a power-sharing agreement mediated by Mbeki on Sept. 15. But implementing the agreement has stalled because the parties cannot decide how to allocate key Cabinet posts.

Without a political agreement, Zimbabweans cannot move on to tackle a growing political and economic crisis.