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Tsvangirai to appear in court
13/03/2007 10:36 - (SA)
Fanuel Jongwe
Harare - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, allegedly badly beaten while in custody, was due to appear in court on Tuesday as the government faced growing criticism over a brutal crackdown on protesters.
A judge ruled on Monday night that Tsvangirai and scores of other opposition activists should be brought before the High Court by lunchtime or else be freed following their arrest on Sunday when a rally against veteran President Robert Mugabe's regime was crushed.
Under the terms of the order, police were also meant to allow lawyers immediate access to their clients, many of whom are said to have been badly wounded after their ordeal at the hand of the security services.
However one of Tsvangirai's lawyers said the police holding the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader had so far ignored the court order.
"We went to all the police stations with a copy of the court order and they denied us access," Alec Muchadehama said.
The lawyers also want Tsvangirai to receive comprehensive medical treatment for head injuries that he is said to have sustained at the hands of the police.
Thokozani Khupe, deputy leader of the MDC, claimed on Monday that Tsvangirai had lost consciousness on three occasions and his life had been left in danger.
International concern
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also weighed in against the government, calling for the release of all the detainees and guarantees for their safety.
Ban's spokesperson said that attacks on opposition leaders "violate the basic democratic right of citizens to engage in peaceful assembly".
Protests were due to be held outside the Zimbabwe consulate in neighbouring South Africa, widely seen as the only country to have real diplomatic leverage over Mugabe but which has so far remained tight-lipped about the crackdown.
The government shows no sign of softening its line.
"We are not going to be found wanting. We will enforce the law to its fullest. We expect people to adhere to the law," home affairs minister Kembo Mohadi told the state-run Herald newspaper.
"Police could not just stand by and see the country go on fire so we deployed and managed to quell the disturbances."
An editorial in the same newspaper, which published pictures of police officers said to have been wounded in Sunday's clashes with the MDC, dumped the blame on the opposition.
"We unreserverdly condemn the state of violence unleashed by the MDC ... Tsvangirai should be ashamed of himself," it said.
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