An anthrax outbreak has killed three people and threatens to wipe out livestock in northern Zimbabwe, compounding the nation's struggle against cholera which has killed hundreds, a charity said on Monday.

Around 400 people have died due to Cholera in Zimbabwe while 10,000 fresh cases have been reported since the outbreak of the disease in the country in August, the United Nations has said.

Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis captured a career-best 6-29 as the tourists edged Zimbabwe by two wickets to take a 4-0 lead in the five-match one-day series on Friday.

Zimbabwe is facing a humanitarian crisis after a major outbreak of cholera, South Africa's health minister said on Wednesday, vowing not to turn away anyone who crosses the border for treatment.

Zimbabwe's humanitarian crisis has reached a "critical level" with cholera killing hundreds across the country, the opposition said on Tuesday ahead of political talks in South Africa.

US President George W Bush on Saturday denounced Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's "illegitimate regime" and called for a new government that would represent the will of the country's people.

The ICC task force, appointed to assess the current situation of cricket in Zimbabwe, has reached the strife-torn nation on a three-day fact-finding mission on Wednesday.

Top-level cricket returns to troubled Zimbabwe from Thursday this week after Sri Lanka sent a 15-player squad to play a series of five one-day internationals.

President Robert Mugabe said Monday a new Zimbabwe government would be formed "as quickly as possible" despite his rival Morgan Tsvangirai's rejection of a regional compromise on a power-sharing deal.

Zimbabwe's ruling party said it had considered sharing control of the powerful home affairs ministry, but that the opposition leader balked at the proposal, state media reported on Sunday.

South Africa will host a regional summit this weekend, aimed at breaking a political impasse in Zimbabwe on forming a unity government, the foreign ministry said.

Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Sunday for a truth commission to examine atrocities in the country dating back to the massacres of ethnic minorities in the 1980s.

African leaders failed to break the deadlock in forming a unity government in Zimbabwe, with a fight for control of the powerful home affairs ministry threatening to sink the power-sharing deal.

Leaders of a Southern African bloc will meet on Monday in Zimbabwe to try and salvage the country's agreement to form a unity government which has been deadlocked over the allocation of key ministries.

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will attend a summit next week aimed at saving a troubled power-sharing accord.

Zimbabwe's opposition warned on Tuesday its leader might steer clear of another regional summit designed to savge a power-sharing accord, saying it had yet to decide whether to trust President Robert Mugabe.

Negotiators gathered in Zimbabwe's capital Harare on Tuesday for talks to break the deadlock in a power-sharing agreement, as lawmakers prepare for the first business session of the new opposition-dominated parliament.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe swore in his two vice presidents on Monday, a senior government official said, despite an ongoing dispute with the opposition over a power-sharing deal.

Zimbabwe's ruling party said political leaders did not need to invite former South African president Thabo Mbeki to mediate as there was no deadlock on power sharing.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said Monday that a new unity government will be formed by the end of the week, denying a deadlock in talks with the opposition over key ministries.