MOZAMBIQUE:

Mozambican officials are to meet their South African counterparts to discuss the impact of gold mine closures, DPA reported on Monday. Deputy Labour Minister Adelaide Amurane said Mozambique did not have the capacity to absorb some 2,500 Mozambican miners sacked from South Africa's East Rand Proprietary Mine last week as a result in the slump in gold prices. An estimated 5,000 Mozambican miners risk retrenchment and repatriation if the gold price does not recover soon, the report said. Miners are believed to send home at least 60 percent of their earnings. A Mozambican opposition coalition of three small parties, the Democratic Union (UD), has splintered ahead of the country's second democratic elections. The UD, with nine seats in parliament, has been deserted by its key member, the Mozambican Liberal Party (PALMO), AFP reported on Monday. PALMO has quit the coalition to join a recently formed electoral union of 11 other opposition groups including the main opposition party RENAMO.