Harare  - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe acceded last week to a secret meeting with his rival, pro-democracy leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe state media reported Monday as meanwhile Southern African leaders were about to meet on the Zimbabwean crisis.

The Herald, controlled by Mugabe's ZANU(PF) party, said the meeting took place at Tsvangirai's request, and was held on Thursday at Zimbabwe House, one of Mugabe's official residences in central Harare.

It said the Mugabe appealed to Tsvangirai to be sworn in immediately as prime minister in terms of the stalled power-sharing agreement between the two rivals.

The newspaper said Mugabe told Tsvangirai that he should "accompany him (Mugabe) over the road to State House," the government's ceremonial and diplomatic reception residence which lies opposite Zimbabwe House, "to be sworn in as prime minister." Tsvangirai rejected the plea, the Herald said.

The power-sharing agreement, signed last September 15, proposes Mugabe as president and Tsvangirai as prime minister.

The disclosure came as a summit of regional leaders on the stalemate in the implementation of the agreement, was about to convene in Pretoria, the South African capital.

The Southern African Development Community is meeting to try to bring Mugabe and Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change, the winner of national elections in March last year, to make concessions on their opposing positions that would allow the proposed joint "government of national unity" to start working.

Until now, Mugabe's spokesmen have bluntly denied that Mugabe would agree to Tsvangirai's request for a tete a tete to break to break the deadlock, following a failed SADC mediation attempt here on Munday last week.

Mugabe's officials have said such a meeting would serve no useful purpose. Observers say Mugabe's accession, and his appeal to Tsvangirai to be sworn in there and then, is an indication of Mugabe's urgency for Tsvangirai to agree to implement the power- sharing deal.

Tsvangirai has refused to be sworn in until Mugabe agrees to share cabinet and government positions equitably, and to release dozens of MDC and civic rights activists arrested and tortured by Mugabe's secret police since October last year. Mugabe has dismissed the demands.

Observers say that Mugabe's accession to talks underline his awareness that he needs Tsvangirai's presence to lend legitimacy in the proposed new transitional government, and is an apparent acknowledgement by the 84-year-old despot that he cannot go ahead unilaterally.

MDC officials were not available to comment on the meeting. (dpa)