Merkel in South Africa

Merkel who is on a visit to South Africa as part of three-nation African tour met a frail looking Mandela and his wife Graca Machel at the offices of his foundation in Johannesburg.

Afterward Merkel, speaking in German, said she was moved by
her meeting with Mandela.

"His great message us that we need peace on Earth to resolve the world's conflicts. The many conflicts in Africa that we have at the moment show that his way is the right way and we should take it to
heart," she said.

Merkel says Zimbabwe a "disaster"

Earlier, during talks with South African President Mbeki, Merkel said that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was residing over a "disaster" after the topic of the dictator's possible inclusion in a forthcoming Europe-Africa summit was discussed during talks with South African leader Thabo Mbeki in Pretoria Friday.

"The situation is a very difficult one," the German leader said at a joint press conference with Mbeki during her first sub-Saharan Africa tour, referring to the current instability and persecution taking place in Zimbabwe. "It's a disastrous one, which I very clearly stated in our conversation."

"I have said right from the start that the president of the republic of Germany wanted to invite all African countries to that summit and it's up to countries themselves to decide how they are going to be represented at the table," said Merkel.

"I also said (to Mbeki) that obviously we will make all our assessments heard. We will also raise all our criticisms. We would do so in the presence of each and everyone and obviously each and every one has the right to attend."

Merkel refuses to back calls to ban Mugabe

Merkel declined to back calls for Mugabe to be barred from the summit between African Union and European Union leaders in Lisbon in December. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has threatened to boycott the summit if the Zimbabwean head of state attends.

Mbeki, who is a mediator between Zimbabwe's opposition and Mugabe's ruling party, assured Merkel that elections in inflation-ravaged Zimbabwe next year would be free and fair, saying he had detected a mood of cooperation among all sides in talks that he has hosted.

"There was a common determination to conclude them (the talks) as quickly as possible," Mbeki told reporters.

"We are confident they will reach an agreement on all of these matters so, at least as far as the political challenges are concerned, there was a united voice," Mbeki added. "Very good progress is in fact being made at the negotiations."

Mbeki confident that Zimbabwe elections will be fair

"Both the ruling party and opposition are committed to making sure the elections are free and fair," he added.

"Next year after the elections it will be very important they take the same approach with regard to economic challenges that they together evolve a common approach."

The talks between Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have focused on constitutional changes, changes to some laws, the reconstitution of the electoral commission and the creation of conditions conducive to free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe in March 2008, Mbeki said.

While Zimbabwe dominated the talks between Merkel and Mbeki, there was time for a lighter topic, that of the 2010 World Cup.

Merkel pledges German support to 2010 World Cup

After presiding over the remarkably successful 2006 tournament, Merkel offered Germany's assistance in making the South African event just as memorable.

"This will open up an opportunity to project a new image for your country and indeed for the continent as a whole," she said. "Wherever we can, we would like to help you, we would like to give our contribution. We already cooperate to a certain extent on the construction of stadiums and exchange of experience on how best to cooperate with FIFA," added Merkel who later toured the site where the host stadium for the 2010 final is under construction.

Mbeki thanked his German counterpart and praised Germany's hosting of last year's event.

"We are very fortunate to be holding the FIFA World Cup after Germany. It enables us to draw on your success ... We will remain in close contact about this," he said.