Botswana protest arrest of Zim.opposition leaders

Zimbabwe police have detained Tsvangirai on no less than five occasions over the past two weeks, in what the opposition leader has said was an attempt by the government to derail his drive to end Mugabe’s decades-long rule.Police have also charged Biti with treason but his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party says the charges are trumped up. Biti, who appears in court on Monday, faces the death penalty if convicted. “Botswana is alarmed by these arrests and detentions as they disrupt electoral activities of key players and intimidate the electorate thus undermining the process of holding a free, fair and democratic election,” Botswana foreign affairs minister Phandu Sekelemani, said in a statement issued by presidential spokesman Jeff Ramsay on Sunday.
Gaborone said the politically motivated arrests posed a serious threat to the holding of a free and fair run-off presidential election in Zimbabwe later this month, adding that the arrests were unacceptable and violated the principles and objectives of the Southern African Development Community Treaty.Tsvangirai starts as favourite to win the run-off poll that is being held because the MDC leader defeated Mugabe in a March 29 poll but fell short of the margin required to takeover the presidency.But political violence has marked campaigning for the run-off poll, amid charges by the MDC that Mugabe has unleashed state security forces and ruling ZANU PF party militias to wage violence against the opposition party’s supporters and structures in an attempt to regain the upper hand in the second ballot.The opposition party says that at least 66 of its members have been killed in political violence over the past two months while several thousands more had been displaced from their homes. The government denies committing violence and instead accuses the MDC of carrying out violence in a bid to tarnish Mugabe’s name.The action by the Gaborone authorities is the first public sign of disapproval from government in a region that has come under attack in some quarters for its policy of quite diplomacy towards Mugabe.Last month, government also expressed concern to Harare officials over the continued attack of President Levy Mwanawasa by Zimbabwean state-owned media that has accused the Zambian leader of aiding Western attempts to topple Mugabe’s government. – ZimOnline