By ANGUS SHAW, AP
June 13, 2008
HARARE, Zimbabwe - President Robert Mugabe's regime struck at the opposition leadership yesterday, only two weeks before Zimbabwe's presidential runoff election, twice detaining his challenger and jailing the No. 2 opposition official to face treason charges.
The US ambassador, meanwhile, said that 20 tons of American food aid heading to impoverished Zimbabwean children had been seized by authorities last week and given to Mugabe supporters at a rally.
Morgan Tsvangirai, who led the opening round of presidential voting 2½ months ago and faces the increasingly autocratic Mugabe in a June 27 runoff, was stopped at a roadblock in the south and held at a police station for about two hours, his Movement for Democratic Change said.
The party said Tsvangirai went back to campaigning, but was stopped later by another group of police. It was the third and fourth times in recent weeks that he has been detained while running against Mugabe, the longtime ruler increasingly unpopular for repressive ways and a wrecked economy.
But the biggest blow was aimed at Tendai Biti, secretary-general of MDC, who was arrested at Harare airport upon returning from South Africa. Police said he would be charged with treason, which carries the possibility of the death penalty.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said the treason charge related to a "transition document" discussing changing Zimbabwe's government.
