Muluzi appeals to Mugabe

Malawi's president, Bakili Muluzi, on Monday appealed to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to end the land reform crisis, which he said threatened to hurt the economies of Southern African countries. "The situation in Zimbabwe is worrying for all of us. For our economy, and for regional stability, the conflict must be resolved," news reports quoted Muluzi as saying. Muluzi added that the turmoil in Zimbabwe was having an effect on Malawi's economy and Mugabe should use all means to resolve the crisis, including what he called genuine dialogue with Britain. Meanwhile, Malawi's Tobacco Control Commission on Friday ordered the indefinite suspension of tobacco sales following disagreements over prices between growers and buyers, PANA reported. No tobacco leaves had been sold on Friday, the fourth day of the opening of the auction floors in both Blantyre and Lilongwe. Buyers reportedly offered less than US $2 per kg, arguing that this season's leaf was of poor quality compared to last year's output. The growers rejected the offer as too low, leading to a stalemate that led to the suspension. Tobacco and tea leaves are the highest earners of foreign exchange for the impoverished country of 10 million people.