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Two opposition politicians arrested in Zimbabwe, as Mugabe appoints lawmakers
Two Zimbabwe opposition politicians were arrested on Monday as they entered parliament to be sworn in, their party said.
- AP
- Published: 14:28 August 25, 2008
Harare: Two Zimbabwe opposition politicians were arrested on Monday as they entered parliament to be sworn in, their party said.
One of the men arrested on Monday, Eliah Zembere, was among seven Movement for Democratic Change activists police have said they were seeking, alleging they were involved in election violence.
The other, Sure Mudzingwa, was not on the list, and the two uniformed and three plainclothes officers who made the arrests did not say why nor where the two were being taken.
In a statement, the opposition party said police also tried to arrest a third member, who is on a team trying to negotiate the power-sharing agreement, but he "was rescued by other MDC members of parliament."
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said he was unaware of Monday's arrests, and added "it would be illegal for anyone to be arrested while they were proceeding to parliament."
The arrests will likely fuel opposition accusations that Mugabe is undermining stalled power-sharing negotiations.
Opposition spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the Movement for Democratic Change remained determined to take up seats in parliament, which Mugabe was to open Tuesday.
Chamisa charged that the arrests were politically motivated, an attempt by Mugabe's Zanu-PF party to regain control of parliament. Zanu-PF had controlled parliament from independence in 1980 until the March vote.
"Zanu-PF are in a desperate attempt to try and stop or abort our victory," Chamisa said. "It's a struggle. We have to fight it out."
On Monday, state media reported that Mugabe had appointed eight governors and three senators, all Zanu-PF loyalists.
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