Johannesburg  - The election standoff in neighbouring Zimbabwe got the creative juices flowing this week at a cafe in South Africa patronized by foreign media.

Diners at The Chef in Johannesburg, situated near the offices of the BBC, Sky News and other international media outlets, were given a choice between an MDC
(mushroom, diced ham and cheese) omelette and Bob's Election-Winning Chicken for lunch on Thursday.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (Bob to The Chef) can take comfort in the knowledge that, despite his Zanu-PF party's rout in parliamentary elections, his chicken
(a nod to the party's rooster symbol) was the hands-down favourite.

When it came to choosing a governing party the offering was more constrained. Patrons were asked to decide between Zanu-PF and the MDC on a mock ballot slip. The only problem was, the Zanu-PF box came pre-ticked.

As for the Zanu-PF Breakfast, The Chef regretted to inform: "Sorry, no stock."

And, because no joke about Zimbabwe would be complete without a mention of inflation, the prices were listed in Zimbabwe dollars, with a zero added every hour. (dpa)