Johannesburg - Madagascar's deposed president, Marc Ravalomanana, has based himself in South Africa, from where he travelled to Swaziland for meetings this week over his ouster from office, a Swazi official said Wednesday.

Swazi King Mswati III currently chairs the security organ or troika of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), of which the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar is a member.

SADC leaders are meeting in the Swazi capital Mbabane on Monday to discuss ex-opposition leader Andry Rajoelina's bloodless rout of Ravalomanana last week, including possible sanctions.

"The first point of stop was South Africa, where he's presently staying, but while he was in South Africa, he made contact with ourselves in the chair of the troika," the official told South Africa's SAfm public radio.

Ravalomanana has been in the mountain kingdom that is enclosed by South Africa and Mozambique since Monday, Swaziland says.

SADC has condemned Rajoelina's arrival to power as "unconstitutional" and is refusing to recognize him as interim president, as is much of the international community. The African Union has suspended Madagascar's membership.

SADC last week dispatched a delegation to the island for talks. (dpa)