Durban:  Joining African leaders in their appeal to end violence in Zimbabwe ahead of the run-off presidential polls slated for June 27,the Nelson Mandela Foundation has called for a conducive environment to hold the elections.

The foundation, established by former South African President and Nobel laureate Nelson Mandela, has signed a letter appealing for peace and fair run-off presidential polls in Zimbabwe.

"We want to express our view that there should be an atmosphere conducive for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe", the foundation's CEO, Achmat Dangor, said in a statement.

The foundation's appeal came at a time when South Africa s ruling ANC and the country's largest trade union, Cosatu, condemned the arrests of leaders of the opposition MDC, including its secretary general, Tendai Biti.

It has also joined other African leaders, including former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, former Anglican leader in Southern Africa and Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu and African human rights activist Graca Machel of Mozambique, in condemning the ongoing violence in Zimbabwe.

"To talk of free and fair elections against what is happening there is a joke," said Gwede Mantashe, secretary general of the ANC. "There has to be an arrangement for a government of national unity because the current scenario will not permit for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe."

Cosatu has called on President Robert Mugabe to step down immediately because he was remaining in power illegally.

The trade union claimed that Mugabe and his ZANU-PF had lost the first round of the elections on March 27 and had no moral or democratic right to remain in power.

However, President Mugabe has reportedly said he would not step down even if he was defeated by the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, on June 27.

Source : PTI