Mugabe has resisted calls to postpone the run-off vote [EPA]

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, is sure to win the presidential poll on Friday, described by the country's opposition and many in the international community as a "sham".

The run-off was reduced to a one-horse race after Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), pulled out of the vote earlier in the week, complaining of intimidation and violence by supporters of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

Tsvangirai condemns the election as source of shame for the country.

In a statement to party supporters on Friday, he said: "Today is not an election. Today is a shameful humiliation, another tragic day in our nation's history."

"Today's results will be meaningless because they do not reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe. Today's results reflect only the fear of the people of Zimbabwe."

Mutasa said some residents were concerned, however, that they could be forced to vote by armed youth supporting Mugabe.

In his last rally before the vote, Mugabe said he would be "magnanimous" in victory.

"Should we emerge victorious, which I believe we will, sure we won't be arrogant, we will be magnanimous and say 'let's sit down and talk,' and talk we shall," Mugabe told a rally on the outskirts of Harare on Thursday.

"So there it is, let the MDC reject it or accept it. We will continue to rule this country in the way we believe it should be ruled."

'Illegitimate election'

Tsvangirai's withdrawal had been followed by international calls for the 84-year-old president not to go ahead with the election unopposed.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, warned Mugabe that were he to declare himself the victor on Friday the result would be seen as "illegitimate".

"Clearly, no run-off election that doesn't have the participation of opposition ... can be considered legitimate, no outcome can be considered legitimate," she said during a visit to Japan.

Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said that the election should be delayed while Mugabe's government and the MDC hold talks.

Tsvangirai pulled out of the presidential race earlier in the week [AFP]

"The political situation appears not to be permissive for holding the run-off elections in a manner that will be free and fair," Tomaz Augusto Salomao, chief of the 14-nation SADC, said on Wednesday.

South Africa said that a senior negotiator was in Harare discussing a range of option including a postponement of the vote.

'Tragic failure'

Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, has meanwhile expressed concern over the Zimbabwean crisis and criticised what he said was a "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe.

"We look back at much human progress, but we sadly note so much failing as well," he said on a visit to the British capital London.

The MDC says that at least 80 of its supporters have been killed by Zanu-PF loyalists and another 200,000 people have been displaced in what it calls Mugabe's "campaign of intimidation" to deter people from voting.

Mugabe supporters have denied the allegations.

Hundreds of opposition supporters have taken shelter in the South African embassy in Harare saying that they fear attacks by Zanu-PF loyalists.

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