(Recasts, adds developments at United Nations)

By Cris Chinaka

HARARE, April 16 (Reuters) - Britain and the heads of the United Nations and African Union raised the crisis in Zimbabwe at a summit of Security Council and African leaders on Wednesday, thwarting efforts by South Africa's government to block it.

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who chaired the meeting at U.N. headquarters as rotating Security Council president, insists there is no crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe, and wanted to keep the post-election deadlock off the agenda.

But back at home, Mbeki's political rival Jacob Zuma, who ousted him as head of the ruling African National Congress in December and is gaining influence at his expense, backed international criticism of the delay in announcing results to the March 29 elections.

"The region cannot afford a deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. The situation is more worrying now given the reported violence that has erupted," he said in a speech in Johannesburg, his toughest comments yet on the issue.

South Africa is the region's political heavyweight, and its influence is considered vital in resolving the standoff between Zimbabwe's veteran leader Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which says it has won the vote.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, Zimbabwe's former colonial power, told the summit, "No one thinks, having seen the results of polling stations, that President Mugabe has won."

"Let a single clear message go out from here in New York that we ... stand solidly behind democracy and human rights for Zimbabwe," he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the gathering he was deeply concerned by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's failure to publish the results of the poll.

"Absent a transparent solution to this impasse, the situation could deteriorate further with serious implications for the people of Zimbabwe," he said.

RESOLVING TURMOIL

Zimbabwe's economy is in ruins, with 80 percent unemployment, chronic food shortages, and the world's worst rate of inflation of almost 165,000 percent.

Critics blame Mugabe for the economic crisis and say the country's misery will only end when he is replaced.

Mbeki says the turmoil can be resolved through the Southern Africa Development Community, which has avoided a tough stand and for which he has unsuccessfully mediated in Zimbabwe in the past.

Without mentioning South Africa or SADC by name, Ban made clear he was not satisfied with this approach.

"The Zimbabwean authorities and the countries of the region have insisted that these matters are for the region to resolve but the international community continues to watch and wait for decisive action," Ban said.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, whose country chairs the AU, praised the SADC for doing a "tremendous job ... to ensure that the will of the people of Zimbabwe is respected."

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington, "We would urge all states, including South Africa and neighboring states ... that have an interest in seeing Zimbabwe transition back to a democratic pathway, to use what leverage they have to encourage President Mugabe to return to that path."

A judge in Harare on Wednesday adjourned until Thursday a hearing on an application from the opposition MDC to block a recount of all votes cast in 23 out of 210 constituencies in the March 29 parliamentary and presidential elections.

The MDC says the recount is another tactic by Mugabe to delay the election results while he orchestrates a campaign of militia violence to intimidate opposition supporters. The High Court has already refused to order the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release the presidential result.

The MDC, which handed Mugabe's ZANU-PF party its first defeat in the parliamentary poll, says Tsvangirai should be declared leader. ZANU-PF says Tsvangirai did not win an absolute majority and a runoff will be necessary.

The MDC and human rights groups say independence war veterans and other pro-Mugabe militia have organised systematic violence to try to ensure victory in a probable runoff. An NGO called Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights said on Wednesday it had treated 173 victims of organised violence and torture between March 29 and April 14. It did not say who the victims or perpetrators were.

The Security Council is not expected to take any action on Zimbabwe because of resistance from South Africa and other council members. But any discussion of the issue at the meeting helps to boost the pressure on Mugabe, Western diplomats say. (Additional reporting by Nelson Banya, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Muchena Zigomo in Harare; Louis Charbonneau and Patrick Worsnip in New York; Caroline Drees in Johannesburg; Writing by Caroline Drees; Editing by Stephen Weeks)

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