Tsvangirai accused of treason as China arms Zimbabwe

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

Disclosure: We’d never even been to a club when we made our first single

For most of us, reaching eighteen years of age opens up a new world for exploration, spontaneity and...

Top of the posts: Drunken rants, the Western Fail and misogyny pushers

The most read blogs this week, as determined by stats.

Sepp Blatter: Penalty shoot-outs must remain, they’re football’s great leveller

As England supporters, we should scorn at any such deciding factor within football. On so many occas...

Why do some men consider the street as a female meat market?

Pronouncements on sexual inequality in the UK are normally met with an eye roll by my generation. As...

Suggested Topics

Zimbabwe's government has ignored a significant call from South Africa to release the result of the presidential elections and has accused the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, of treason by plotting with Britain to overthrow the President, Robert Mugabe.

Themba Maseko, a South African government spokesman, said the situation in Zimbabwe was "dire". Mr Maseko said: "When elections are held and results are not released two weeks after, it is obviously of great concern."

The comments mark a significant shift from South African President Thabo Mbeki's policy towards Mr Mugabe's regime, which has has divided his own party, the ANC, and attracted stinging criticism.

But South Africa confirmed that it will not intervene to stop a shipment of Chinese-made weapons from reaching Zimbabwe, despite fears of a violent crackdown in the country.

A Chinese ship docked in Durban harbour late on Wednesday carrying three million rounds of ammunition for small arms, 3,500 mortar bombs and mortar tubes, as well as 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, according to local media.

Mr Maseko said that as long as the administrative papers are in order, South Africa cannot intervene to prevent weapons being transported through its territory to its landlocked neighbour. "We are not in a position to act unilaterally to prevent a trade deal between two countries. South Africa is not at all involved in the arrangement. It would be possible but very difficult for South Africa to start intervening and saying that we will not allow the shipment through."

Mr Mbeki used his nation's current presidency of the UN Security Council to prevent calls by Britain and others for Zimbabwe to be put on the council agenda on Wednesday. Afterwards, he admitted there were "things that have gone wrong" in Zimbabwe, and said opposition parties must be able to participate in verifying poll results.

Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), called the treason charge "outrageous" and said the 84-year-old Mr Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain 28 years ago today, might be forced to "face justice".

The treason claim against the MDC leader, which recalls past court battles on the same charge, arose after Harare's state-owned Herald newspaper published what purported to be a letter by Mr Tsvangirai begging for British military intervention, and a reply from Gordon Brown.

The British embassy denounced the alleged letter from the Prime Minister as a "forgery", saying: "No such letter or wider correspondence exists." But Zimbabwe's Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, said the opposition leader had behaved "treasonably", and there was no doubting the consequences.

The affair follows a familiar pattern: Mr Tsvangirai has twice before been charged with treason, which carries the death penalty. The last case tied down the MDC leader for 18 months, defending himself after the government produced a videotape which appeared to show him trying to buy arms for an insurrection.

Mr Tsvangirai has remained abroad most of the time since the 29 March election, in which the ruling Zanu-PF party lost its parliamentary majority and Mr Mugabe is believed to have been beaten in the first round, according to independent monitoring groups. Yesterday, he told the Associated Press Mr Mugabe was losing the chance of an "honourable exit".

"The more he is digging in, the more he's abusing people," he went on. "I still think we should forgive and forget. But given the wave of violence against the people, how do you sell that to the people?" The MDC leader has said that he was not interested in a "witch hunt" because it would distract from mending the political and economic crises.

Opponents fear the President and his associates would simply cling to power all the harder if they face being tried for human rights abuses.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

Patrick Cockburn: I fear this terrible massacre will be the beginning of a long civil war in Syria

Patrick Cockburn

I fear this terrible massacre will be the beginning of a long civil war in Syria
Hardeep Singh Kohli: For me, it is all about 'Gregory's Girl', a record of first love

Hardeep Singh Kohli

For me, it is all about 'Gregory's Girl', a record of first love
Christian Louboutin: 'I don't think comfort equals happiness'

Christian Louboutin interview

'I don't think comfort equals happiness'
Happy birthday, Hotel Babylon!

Happy birthday, Hotel Babylon!

Hollywood's home to the A-list celebrates 100 years of discreet luxury
Rupert Cornwell: Low-rise capital could finally reach for the sky

Rupert Cornwell: Out of America

Low-rise capital could finally reach for the sky
The secret life of the red carpet

The secret life of the red carpet

As Cannes reaches its climax with the Palme d'Or and the celebrities gather in London for the Baftas tonight, Kate Youde and Jack Dean investigate the real star of the show
It's not easy being Professor Green: The rapper, the heiress and a drama made in Chelsea...

It's not easy being Professor Green

The rapper, the heiress and a drama made in Chelsea...
Hardcore, hard-wired: How the prevalence of porn is changing our everyday lives

How porn is changing our lives

It's everywhere - from pop videos to fashion magazines to the theatrical stage.
River Phoenix: the final reel

River Phoenix: the final reel

Twenty years after the actor's death, his last film is to be released
Facebook: The shares shenanigans

Facebook: The shares shenanigans

Investors are crying foul over the huge losses they incurred when the social network site floated on the stock market last week
Up and away – how '7 Up' went global

Up and away – how '7 Up' went global

As the last episode of Britain's '56 Up' airs, the first episode of '28 Up', from the former USSR, starts. Then there's the US, Japan, Germany...
You'll soon pick this up: Tuck into Bill Granger's fresh street food

Tuck into Bill Granger's fresh street food

It provides perfect party fare for some fun in the sun...
All to play for: How is Ukraine shaping up ahead of Euro 2012?

How is Ukraine shaping up ahead of Euro 2012?

Peter Popham casts his eye over the state of the Euro 2012 co-host ahead of the tournament.
Red or not, here they come: Artists reimagine the iconic telephone booth

BT ArtBoxes: Red or not, here they come

Artists reimagine the iconic telephone booth...
The Last Word: Premier bullies devise youth system bound to end in tears

The Last Word

Premier bullies devise youth system bound to end in tears