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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ZIMBABWE: Opposition leader arrested

JOHANNESBURG, 6 June 2003 (IRIN) - Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested and charged with treason on Friday as the security forces clamped down on the last day of a week-long protest campaign against the government of President Robert Mugabe.

A heavy presence by the security forces reportedly dampened the demonstrations planned by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in what had been billed as "D-Day" in their challenge to the authorities. The police had warned that the campaign, dubbed the "final push", was illegal, and broke up this week's street marches.

MDC leader Tsvangirai was arrested and charged with treason because of "the many statements he has been making calling for the violent removal of the president," the Associated Press quoted police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena as saying.

He will remain in custody until Saturday at the earliest, MDC spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi told IRIN.

"We expect that a desperate regime will do such things. As far as we're concerned they are reacting to a successful mass stayaway. It's the first time in the country's history that the opposition has been able to shut down Zimbabwe for five days," Nyathi said.

Tsvangirai is already on trial for treason on charges he plotted Mugabe's assassination, an accusation he has rejected, saying he was framed by the government. He was also arrested and held for a few hours on Monday for his involvement in this week's protests. Treason carries the death penalty in Zimbabwe.

Earlier, Tsvangirai told a news conference that "from now on we will embark on rolling mass action at strategic times of our choice without any warning to the dictatorship."

AP reported that most businesses remained closed in the capital, Harare, on Friday as ruling party militiamen joined police and soldiers on the streets. In Bulawayo, the country's second city, opposition officials said troops in full combat gear were on patrol.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Governance

[ENDS]

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