DATE=9/14/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ZIMBABWE / RAID (L-O)
NUMBER=2-266506
BYLINE=MARTIN RUSHMERE
DATELINE=HARARE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Police in Zimbabwe have raided offices of the
country's main opposition party, the Movement for
Democratic Change, and detained four party officials.
The police say they were looking for grenades,
pistols, or rifles. But as Martin Rushmere reports
from Harare, members of the M-D-C say the raiding
party also targeted the party's files.
TEXT: The police searched the M-D-C offices for most
of the day without finding any weapons. By late
Thursday, no charges had been filed against the four
men being held, who included the personal assistant to
party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
M-D-C secretary-general Welshman Ncube denounced the
police raid as a government campaign to intimidate
opposition supporters.
There was a tense standoff when lawyers acting for the
M-D-C refused to allow police to take away documents
and search through computer files. The lawyers said
the search warrants referred only to weapons.
Welshman Ncube says the government wants to identify
the M-D-C's financial supporters. He says - they want
to frighten people away from backing us.
The raids (on three M-D-C offices) followed a hand-
grenade attack earlier this week on the party's
headquarters in Harare. No one was injured, although
shrapnel damaged vehicles and buildings.
A political analyst in Harare says Zimbabwe's
government is becoming alarmed at the growing strength
of the opposition, and may be trying to intimidate its
opponents. (SIGNED)
NEB/MR/WTW/RAE
14-Sep-2000 12:02 PM EDT (14-Sep-2000 1602 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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