Zimbabwe police raid house of prime minister's aides
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Sunday, October 25, 2009
HARARE, ZIMBABWE -- Police loyal to President Robert Mugabe raided a house used by the prime minister's supporters Saturday and accused them of hoarding weapons in a move that is likely to push Zimbabwe's fragile coalition government closer to collapse.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said Saturday that the police raid was a provocation by those in Mugabe's party who want the coalition to fail.
Mugabe was forced into a power-sharing government with Tsvangirai, the longtime opposition leader, in February after disputed elections last year. Tsvangirai temporarily withdrew from the unity government on Oct. 16.
Mugabe, 85, has ruled Zimbabwe since its independence from Britain in 1980, and many fear he will hang on to power at all costs.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti, MDC's secretary general, said about 50 armed police officers "ransacked" the Harare house Friday night. The house is used by MDC executives who visit from outside the capital.
He said a guard, Moffat Nyandure, and his wife were assaulted. Police told Nyandure to dig in the yard around the house in search of weapons, Biti said. Nyandure was made to dig with his bare hands for five hours.
A room occupied by a party official, who was at the house during the raid, was searched and "valuable party documents" were taken, Biti said. Police "claimed" they had a search warrant, he said.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena had no comment.
"They are behind this attack," Biti said, referring to Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. "Our decision of pulling out of the inclusive government infuriated ZANU-PF, and this is the price we now pay for that decision." Tsvangirai's boycott has been a setback in the country's struggle to emerge from political gridlock, economic collapse, and international isolation and sanctions.
Both parties have said they are committed to the coalition, but it has been strained by disagreements that have paralyzed the country.
Tsvangirai has condemned unilateral moves by Mugabe to fill government posts, continuing human rights violations and attacks on activists by ZANU-PF supporters and security forces.
The only positive sign for unity and democratic reform in Zimbabwe came weeks ago when the Supreme Court released nine activists and dropped terrorism charges against them because they had been tortured and beaten in jail.
