Zim cops release Tsvangirai

2008-01-23 11:29

Harare - Police briefly detained opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after an overnight raid on his home and put up roadblocks to prevent a planned mass march by demonstrators calling for political reforms and fair elections.

Nelson Chamisa, a spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change, said the arrest and the ban on the march - despite new security laws that were meant to allow demonstrations - was a deliberate snub to South African efforts to find a solution to Zimbabwe's crisis.

He said: "It's a mockery of President Thabo Mbeki's efforts. It's a mockery of African solutions to African problems. It's a mockery to humankind."

He said police seized Tsvangirai at about 04:00 from his home in northern Harare and released him five hours later.

The opposition vowed to go ahead with the march despite the ban, announced by police on Tuesday. Chamisa said they expected 100 000 people to show up.

Cops manned roadblocks

But, given that cellular phone networks collapsed through the country because of sweeping power outages, it was unclear how the opposition movement would mobilise its supporters.

Armed riot police with water cannons and teargas were out in force early in the morning, but later withdrew. Uniformed police manned roadblocks between the townships around Harare and the city centre, and searched minibus taxis in an apparent bid to check on protesters.

Chamisa said: "They are trying to intimidate people and to scare people." The party launched an urgent bid in the High Court to overturn the ban.

The march was the first test of new security laws that were meant to relax bans on political rallies and meetings ahead of elections scheduled for March.

State radio said on Tuesday that police intelligence reports indicated that the MDC was working "outside the spirit" of an initial agreement for the march to go ahead.

Constitutional, electoral reforms

The radio said police believed there were "sinister motives" behind the "Freedom Walk," scheduled to begin at 11:00.

"Police do not believe the march will be held in a peaceful and tranquil manner and it is felt it is not in the interest of public security for it to proceed," said the radio.

Tsvangirai, at a weekend rally, also repeated demands for more constitutional and electoral reforms before the election and described new boundaries of voting districts redrawn by the state Electoral Commission to increase the number of parliament seats as a fraud.

The opposition had called for polling to be delayed to June to allow for its demands to be met, but President Robert Mugabe had insisted national elections were to take place by the end of March.

Changes to Zimbabwe's media, security and electoral laws - negotiated in South African-mediated talks between the ruling party and opposition aimed at ending the nation's political and economic crisis - were rushed through parliament at the end of 2007.

- AP