Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party secretary general Tendai Biti – who was last month charged with treason and had his passport seized by the authorities as part of his bail conditions – had appealed to the High Court to have the travel document released so he could travel to South Africa.
“The requirement that the applicant surrenders his passport be and is hereby struck off,” ruled Justice Anne-Mary Gowora, who also scrapped a requirement that Biti reports to police twice per week in order to enable the MDC official to attend talks.
The negotiations were expected to start later on Wednesday, but analysts do not expect early success in the talks pointing at the that had to go to court to get back his passport that authorities in order to attend the talks as evidence of acrimonious environment under which the dialogue is taking place.
African leaders have urged ZANU PF and the MDC to use the talks to reach agreement on a transitional government of national unity that would stabilise the political and economic environment before calling fresh free and fair elections.
But major obstacles threaten to scuttle the talks with Mugabe insisting that the MDC should recognise him as President of Zimbabwe after his victory in a June 27 presidential run-off election in which he was sole the candidate after MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out.
The run-off election that was condemned by both African and Western governments as undemocratic was held because Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe in a March 29 first round ballot but failed to secure the required majority to takeover power.
The MDC has insisted it would not recognise Mugabe and would not take part in talks until the government stopped political violence against the opposition party’s supporters. Tsvangirai and his party also insist that any talks should be based on the March vote that is widely regarded as reflective of the will of Zimbabweans. – ZimOnline
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