There will be no special security arrangements for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe at Saturday's presidential inauguration in Pretoria, the foreign affairs department said.

Security had been put in place to protect heads of state, but no special arrangement had been made for Mugabe, director general Ayanda Ntsaluba told a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.

Civil rights initiative AfriForum had put up posters reading "Mugabe go home" around the Union Buildings, to protest against his presence at Jacob Zuma's inauguration as president.

AfriForum chief executive officer Kallie Kriel said they were protesting against human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

Ntsaluba said they had discussed the possibility of inviting other parties in the unity government of Zimbabwe.

"This is being attended to as we speak." he said.

He said preparations for the inauguration were going well.

"We are confident that everything that needs to be done has been done."

Twenty-nine countries would be represented by heads of state, seven by their deputy presidents and 56 by their foreign ministers. Former Southern African Development Community heads of state had also been invited.

The 5000 guests would be provided with umbrellas should it rain, and blankets if it was cold. The hour-long inauguration ceremony would start at 11am. The president would then deliver a speech.

He said there would be a fly past and a guard of honour because the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

"The president would acknowledge the national salute by the SA National Defence Force comprising a flight by four SAAF (SA Air Force) helicopters and Astra Aircraft and a 21 round gun salute.

In addition to the diplomatic corps accredited to South Africa, 100 delegations had confirmed their attendance.

"There will also be representatives of fraternal parties who have been invited as part of the invitations extended by the ruling party — Frelimo, Swapo (South West Africa People's Organisation), etc," he said, referring to Mozambique's and Namibia's ruling parties.

He said that President el-Bashir of Sudan would not be attending the inauguration. "The unity government in Khartoum will however be represented."

There was some speculation about el-Bashir's attendance as the International Criminal Court had issued a warrant for his arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity charges relating to the conflict in Darfur, according to The Star.

As South Africa is a signatory to the court's founding Rome Statute, it would be obliged to arrest him if he visited South Africa.

Sapa

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