 Tsvangirai, who defeated Mugabe in a March 29 election that also saw his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party defeating the ruling ZANU PF party in a parallel parliamentary poll, has remained outside Zimbabwe with his aides claiming the army plans to assassinate him if he returns.
 ZINASU president Clever Bere said Tsvangirai should return to give direction to his followers ahead of a June 27 second round election ordered by election authorities who say the MDC leader defeated Mugabe in March but failed to garner more than 50 percent of the vote needed to take power.
 Bere said: “His absence is causing more harm than good to the struggle. We call upon the president to return and face the treatment other Zimbabweans are getting.”
 The ZINASU leader was referring to political violence blamed on suspected ZANU PF militias and that has killed at least 40 MDC supporters and displaced thousands others.
 MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said while the opposition party understood the calls by ZINASU and others for Tsvangirai’s return the security situation on the ground prevented him from immediately coming home.
 He said: “The concerns of ZINASU are genuine and sincere but it must be understood that the president is not on holiday or luxury escapade.
 Everyone knows the importance of him being back and he will be back soon, but realities on the ground have to be considered first. As soon as circumstances allow he will be back. It must be noted that he has some duties he is performing there.”
 MDC secretary general Tendai Biti told international media this week that army snipers were waiting, ready to take down Tsvangirai upon his return on Zimbabwean soil.
 The Harare government has however rejected claims the army wanted to kill Tsvangirai and instead accuses the opposition leader of falsely claiming his life was in danger in order to attract more sympathy and funds from his Western backers. – ZimOnline
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