Zimbabwe election marred by violence

Two opposition activists were reportedly detained by police yesterday after trying to lodge a complaint that they had been abducted and tortured by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party militants in the north-western Lupane parliamentary constituency.

Two opposition activists were reportedly detained by police yesterday after trying to lodge a complaint that they had been abducted and tortured by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party militants in the north-western Lupane parliamentary constituency.

The constituency registrar, Willard Sayenda, said of the 12,173 voters who had cast their ballots in the by-election by the end of Saturday,more than 1,000 were "assisted to vote" because they claimed illiteracy or other disabilities.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, claims that "assisted voting" gives the authorities the power to punish or reward voters, especially over distribution of food relief.

An opposition spokesman, Nkanyiso Maqeda, said the two menwere kidnapped and tortured last week by self-styled former independence war guerrillas. When they were released on Friday and went to report the matter, "police said the two were against Zanu-PF supporters."

Police spokesmen could not be reached for comment yesterday.