Mugabe is due to host South African president Jacob Zuma here Thursday for the opening of the Harare Agricultural Show. Zuma had promised to raise 'very weighty issues' with Mugabe over the troubled coalition government he shares with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Early this month Tsvangirai met with Zuma in Pretoria where he asked the South African leader to press Mugabe on issues relating to the formation of a coalition government six months ago.

These include the unilateral appointment of ZANU(PF) cronies as central bank chief and attorney general, Mugabe's refusal to swear in popular white MDC treasurer Roy Bennett, and a wave of prosecutions of MDC parliamentarians on what the party says are 'trumped-up' charges.

The government sources said Mugabe returned last Wednesday from an official visit to Namibia and left immediately for Dubai.