MDC lawmaker held for violence

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Harare - A newly-elected lawmaker for Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party was arrested on Monday in connection with post-election violence in his constituency, a colleague said.

Heya Shoko, who won a seat in Masvingo province formerly held by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, is believed to be the first opposition lawmaker to be arrested since the March 29 general election.

"I was with him in town when three detectives from the CID (criminal investigations department) law and order sections took him away saying it was in connection with some incidents in his constituency," fellow MDC lawmaker Ernest Mudavanhu told AFP by phone from Masvingo.

"As we speak he is still being held at Masvingo police station. We believe this is a strategy to intimidate us."

There was no immediate comment from the police, but Shoko's detention comes after a series of high profile arrests, including those of the country's top two union leaders, in the aftermath of the elections which saw Zanu-PF lose control of parliament for the first since independence in 1980.

The MDC's leader Morgan Tsvangirai also beat Mugabe in the first round of the joint parliamentary and presidential elections but fell just short of an overall majority and the pair are now due to face off in a second round.

MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the arrest of Shoko was part of a plan by the ruling party to initimidate its opponents ahead of the run-off election, the date of which has yet to be announced.

"Zanu-PF has adopted a strategy targeting MDC activists and key players ahead of the run-off," said Chamisa.

"In any event of violence real or imagined, they accuse the MDC and arrest our people. Yet when Zanu-PF beats up people, the police do not do anything."

A wave of violence has swept across Zimbabwe since the announcement of the parliamentary results.

The MDC claims at least 32 of its supporters have been killed and hundreds displaced in retributive attacks.

- AFP