Johannesburg - South African President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday defended his government's much-criticized stance on Zimbabwe, the Sapa news agency reported.

Mbeki told parliament that there were "some farther afield from us who choose to describe us as a so-called rogue democracy ... because we refuse to serve as their subservient klipgooiers (stone throwers) against especially President Robert Mugabe."

Mugabe has come under international fire for his controversial policies that are believed to have driven the country to economic collapse. Pressure for the 84-year-old who has been in power since 1980 to step down has mounted since disputed elections in March and violence against the opposition in its wake.

South Africa wanted to see the people of Zimbabwe being allowed to freely choose their leaders and government and refuses to engage in "projects based on the notion that we have a right to bring about 'regime change' in Zimbabwe," Mbeki said.

Mbeki has been appointed by the 14-member Southern African Development Community to facilitate negotiations between Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party and its opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party. (dpa)