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HARARE - Zimbabwean police arrested a prominent opposition lawyer yesterday, a day after the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, was detained for a second time and banned from holding political rallies.
Yesterday it was revealed that it was only the direct intervention of the South African President, Thabo Mbeki, that had led to Tsvangirai being released.
With just weeks until the presidential run-off on June 27, Robert Mugabe's Government is intensifying a vicious crackdown on the MDC and its supporters.
Eric Matinenga, an MP and Tsvangirai's lawyer during his 2005 treason trial, yesterday became the sixth MDC legal adviser to have been arrested and detained since the result of the first presidential poll on March 29 was eventually announced. That was won by Tsvangirai, but without the majority needed to avoid a run-off with Mugabe.
Matinenga was rearrested two days after a magistrate had ordered him to be released from custody, saying he had been wrongly charged with inciting public violence. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said yesterday that Matinenga's arrest was illegal and accused Mugabe of sabotaging campaigning in order to keep his 28-year hold on power.
Zimbabwe's High Court yesterday overturned a police ban on rallies by the MDC.
All week police have been closing off areas where MDC rallies were planned to take place and arresting activists, including David Nyathi, the MDC's provincial director of elections. Tsvangirai was detained twice as he tried to campaign in the southwestern province of Matabeleland.
Mbeki's spokesman, Mukoni Ratshitanga, confirmed yesterday that Mbeki had came to Tsvangirai's rescue. "Discussions did take place with government representatives in Harare in which the President appealed for Mr Tsvangirai's release," Ratshitanga said.
- OBSERVER, INDEPENDENT
