By Nelson Banya
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's army distanced itself from post-election violence and sought to calm tensions ahead of a possible run-off vote, state media reported on Friday ahead of a visit by regional mediator President Thabo Mbeki.
The South African leader, whose "soft diplomacy" approach towards the crisis in Zimbabwe has triggered criticism at home and abroad, iq due to travel to his country's northern neighbour on Friday for talks with veteran President Robert Mugabe about the disputed poll.
The head of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, says he won the March 29 presidential election outright and his party says it is not planning to participate in a run-off. Tsvangirai has yet to give a final answer on whether he will contest.
If he does not, the 84-year-old Mugabe will automatically win. Mugabe has ruled since independence in 1980.
The MDC, rights groups and Western nations have accused the ruling ZANU-PF party of launching a campaign of violence to ensure Mugabe wins a run-off. ZANU-PF denies the charge, has appealed for calm, and accuses the MDC of carrying out attacks.
The opposition and civic groups have also said soldiers beat civilians and armed militia groups.
The Zimbabwe National Army told the state-run Herald newspaper it was not behind the violence and was trying hard to ensure peace returns.
Army spokesman Alois Makotore "categorically distanced the army and any of its members from allegedly harassing, assaulting people and robberies," the paper reported.
"In the event of any incidents of criminality and conduct that is unbecoming (for)... soldiers, members of (the) public must report their concerns to the nearest police station or army camp," Makotore said.
He said the army said it was concerned by an increasing number of incidents in which soldiers are facing what provocations, insults, abuse and attacks by some members of the public "for no good reason".
APPEALS FOR CALM
Mugabe's government has repeatedly called for an end to violence, in which the opposition says more than 20 people have been killed, thousands displaced and agricultural groups say 40,000 labourers have been expelled from farms.
It has rejected criticism of the elections and the weeks of delays in confirming winners of the parliamentary and presidential polls, saying it is running a free, fair and democratic election process.
Official results show ZANU-PF lost its parliamentary majority to the opposition for the first time since independence, and Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the presidential poll -- but not by enough votes to secure an absolute majority and avoid a run-off.
Regional heavyweight South Africa, which heads efforts by the regional SADC grouping to defuse the turmoil in impoverished Zimbabwe, announced on Thursday that Mbeki would meet political leaders in Harare as part of a "facilitation process".
The last time Mbeki met with Mugabe after the election, he denied there was a crisis in Zimbabwe, a comment which was widely attacked by political rivals and the international community.
Western countries have called on African states to do more to end the crises in the once prosperous country whose economy is now in ruins. A flood of refugees and concerns about instability and violence have taken their toll on the region.
The White House renewed its call on Mugabe and his supporters on Thursday to end "violence and intimidation".
