Zulu was in Harare early this week and met Zimbabwe's political party representatives and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Zulu also met members of civil society organisations, including those of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN).

Zuma's team will also be getting more submissions from stakeholders to feed into the roadmap database.

Zulu confirmed on Friday that she had met with political party representatives on Monday and Tuesday, as well as civil society groups.

She received some submissions but refused to give details, saying she still had to brief Zuma on her trip.

"I was in Harare and I met with everyone I was expected to meet, including political parties, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and Zimbabwe Election Support Network. The reason why I also met role-players outside the Global Political Agreement is that they are also stakeholders and need to be consulted on the issue of the roadmap to free and fair elections," Zulu told the Sunday Times.

"All the relevant parties made submissions and I will compile a report on that and give it to the president. I expect to brief him this weekend or before the African Union summit."

The elections roadmap is expected to have timelines, benchmarks and targets to ensure that Zimbabwe creates conditions for credible elections in a bid break the political stalemate.

After rescuing Zimbabwe's inclusive government from the brink of collapse over a month ago and helping to mend strained political relations among its rival leaders, Zuma sent Zulu to Harare to engage the parties to nail down details of a roadmap towards free and fair elections.

Zuma's latest intervention in Zimbabwe comes ahead of his anticipated briefing of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) troika on his trip to Harare in November.

The troika is expected to meet after the African Union summit at the end of this month to review the Zimbabwe situation.

Zuma meet Zimbabwe's warring political leaders, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara in Harare on November 26 in a bid to mend their relations, which had broken down over the president's unilateral appointment of provincial governors, judges and ambassadors in violation of the constitution and the Global Political Agreement.

Zimbabwe's inclusive government technically expires next month and the parties would have to agree to extend it to finish the constitution-making process before they go for fresh elections.

The chaotic constitutional reform process has been dogged by infighting, lack of funding and poor organisation. The process, which is a year behind schedule, was expected to have been completed by September last year. It is, however, now expected to be finalised by September this year.

By The Times (SA)