HARARE, July 5 (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday to try to help end a political crisis, his spokesman said.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said its leader Morgan Tsvangirai had declined to meet Mbeki.

Mbeki's spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga said: "Yes, the president earlier on Saturday met President Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara in the context of the mediation process." Mutambara leads a breakaway faction of the MDC.

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