Pretoria - The meeting of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Organ Troika and SADC Chairperson Kgalema Mothlanthe is underway at the Presidential guesthouse in Pretoria.
The meeting is taking place ahead of the SADC Summit this afternoon.
All 14 member states are expected to attend the summit, being held to find an amicable solution to the political deadlock that has shrouded Zimbabwe's political landscape since elections in mid-2008.
The power sharing agreement signed by President Robert Mugabe and the leaders of the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara on 15 September 2008, is yet to be implemented.
The agreement made provision for the creation of the posts of prime minister and deputy prime minister under constitutional amendment 19, which still needs to be passed by Zimbabwe's Parliament.
Under the agreement, which was facilitated by SADC facilitator and former South African President Thabo Mbeki, Mr Mugaba would remain president, while Mr Tsvangirai would take up the position of prime minister with Mr Mutambara as his deputy.
However, the parties have been unable to agree on key cabinet ministries, including home affairs.
The political deadlock in Zimbabwe has exacerbated the socio-economic crisis which has led to the highest inflation figure in the world, a collapse of the once-thriving agricultural industry and business sectors and a shutdown of infrastructure.
The outbreak of a cholera in Zimbabwe has infected over 50 000 Zimbabweans and killed over 2 500 people.
The African Union (AU), SADC, the United Nations (UN) as well as international pressure groups will all be hoping for a resolution by the end of proceedings on Monday, as peace and prosperity in Zimbabwe is crucial to regional growth and investment.
The convening of the summit on Monday follows a decision of the meeting held in Harare, Zimbabwe on 19 January 2009.
The meeting in Harare was attended by President Kgalema Motlanthe, Mozambican President Armando Guebuza as Deputy Chairperson of SADC's Politics, Defence and Security organ, Mr Mbeki as well as Mr Mugabe and the two MDC leaders.
The Heads of State and Government are expected to issue a communiqu, at the end of the deliberations.
