Harare, Zimbabwe

February 16th 2002

Dear Mr. President

As a church leader in Zimbabwe, I believe I have a moral obligation to
address you and I choose an open letter, since what I say is obvious
to anyone who cares to look.


Mr. President, I am horrified that I find the person who holds the
most honoured position in our country condoning:


the trampling upon our constitution

the suppressing of fundamental freedoms and human rights

the violence that supports Zanu PF interests

the lies and deception in the State media

the recently enacted oppressive legislation

the selective enforcement of the rule of law

the spread of injustice and corruption

the hypocrisy with respect to property rights

the violent attacks upon opposition Members of Parliament

the threatening of our judges

the fuelling of racial hatred

the widespread intimidation of the electorate

No democratic country can tolerate any of these evils and remain a
democracy and no country, with a sense of morality, can ignore such
abuses without violating its conscience (Jeremiah 6:13-15).


I believe, Mr. President, that you have polluted your commission by
abusing the authority entrusted to you by God and the Zimbabwean
people (Deuteronomy 16:18-20; 2 Chronicles 19:5-7; Psalm 82:1-5;
Proverbs 24:23-25; Isaiah 10:1-3; Romans 13:3).


I believe that, as a Christian minister, ordained by God, I have an
ethical duty to denounce any of our national leaders who embrace a
path that  is immoral and oppressive (Exodus 5:1,2; 2 Samuel 12:7;
Esther 7:6; Matthew 23:14; Mark 6:17,18; Luke 13:31,32).


I believe this prophetic responsibility necessitates rebuking
wickedness without fear or compromise and I pray that the true
church will not only refuse to tolerate such behaviour from you, but
from any future President of our country.


Therefore, just as Nathan the prophet said to king David, "Thou art
the man" (2 Samuel 12:7), and as Elijah told king Ahab that it was his
sin that had brought trouble upon Israel (1 Kings 18:18), so I say to
you, Mr. President, that you are fundamentally to blame for the
destruction of and oppression in our nation. The Zimbabwean people are
being crushed and I choose to identify myself with them and say in
God's holy name, "Enough!" My prayer is for God to be merciful and
deliver us from your oppressive hand and  that once delivered, He
would make us vigilant so we never again allow the framework for such
oppression to be erected.


Finally, I am moved by God's grace and a clear conscience, knowing
that it is far better to die while seeking to uphold truth and
justice, than to live as a compromised coward under an oppressive
ruler (Matthew 16:25). Here I stand, I can do no other. May God help
us all. Amen!




Rev. Dr. Derek Carlsen, L.Th, M.Miss, D.Miss.

P.O. Box 3348, Paulington, Mutare, Zimbabwe

E-mail: rhm@syscom.co.zw


Scripture verses as quoted on previous page:

Jeremiah 6:13-15

13 "Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to covetousness;

And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. 14
They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace,
peace!' When there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had
committed  abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they
know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At
the time I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the Lord.

Deuteronomy 16:18-20

18 "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the
Lord your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall
judge the people with just judgment.19 "You shall not pervert justice;
you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds
the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.20 "You
shall follow what is  altogether just, that you may live and inherit
the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

2 Chronicles 19:5-7

5 Then he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities
of Judah, city by city,6 and said to the judges, "Take heed to what
you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord, who is
with you in the judgment.7 "Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be
upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord
our God, no partiality,  nor taking of bribes."

Psalm 82:1-5

1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the
gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the
wicked?  Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the
afflicted  and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the
hand of  the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They
walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.


Proverbs 24:23-25

23 These things also belong to the wise: It is not good to show
partiality in judgment. 24 He who says to the wicked, "You are
righteous," Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.25 But
those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing
will come upon them.

Isaiah 10:1-3

"Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune,
Which they have prescribed 2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take
what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their
prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. 3 What will you do in the
day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To
whom will you flee for help?

And where will you leave your glory?

Romans 13:3

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want
to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have
praise from the same.

Exodus 5:1,2

Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, "Thus says the
Lord God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to
Me in the wilderness.' "2 And Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I
should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor
will I let Israel go."

2 Samuel 12:7

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God
of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from
the hand of Saul.

Esther 7:6

6 And Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!" So
Haman was terrified before the king and queen.

Matthew 23:14

14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour
widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you
will receive greater condemnation.

Mark 6:17,18

17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in
prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had
married her. 18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you
to have your brother's wife."

Luke 13:31,32

31 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and
depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You."32 And He said to them,
"Go, tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today
and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'

1 Kings 18:18

18 And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your
father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the
Lord and have followed the Baals".

Matthew 16:25

25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My sake will find it".

Scripture quotes taken from the NKJV, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1990

Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)

 

February 24, 2002
Posted to the web February 26, 2002

 

Staff

 

THE next Zimbabwe government faces the daunting task of bringing the economy back on track because of its advanced state of decline characterised by deepening poverty and shortage of basic commodities, analysts said last week.

 

Economists told Standard Business that problems which needed urgent attention include the escalating inflation, currently pegged at 116%, depleted foreign reserves, reducing the budget deficit, solving the foreign currency debacle, as well as reducing government's domestic debt, which stood at about $210 billion as at the beginning of February.

 

African Banking Corporation (ABC) economist, David Mupamhadzi, said for whoever won the election, "fundamentally, the first step in turning around the fortunes of the economy is restoring macroeconomic stability". Above all that, the new government would be faced with the challenge of regaining investor confidence.

 

"If we look at our foreign currency problems, they are largely emanating from the fact that no one is interested in investing in the country because of the political situation. If investment comes into the country we will generate enough foreign currency," he said.

 

Mupamhadzi said he hoped that the elected government would re-focus its priorities to concentrate on economic issues. "At the moment politics is dominating all. They are more worried about winning the election."

 

Employers' Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) president, Kenzias Chibota, said generating adequate foreign currency, stabilising the exchange rate and sorting out inflation should be the priority areas for the new government.

 

"The whole economy is in turmoil. All these important issues should take centre stage to resuscitate the economy. But the government must as well create an environment conducive for doing business. We cannot do this all by our ourselves, it is therefore imperative that the balance of payment of support is resumed with our donors," he said.

 

The country's exchange rate has remained unchanged at the official rate of Z$55 to one US dollar, despite persistent calls for government to devalue the local unit to put it more in line with current trends. It is now anticipated to be adjusted after the election to about $160 to the greenback.

 

Chibota's sentiments for revitalised donor support were supported by Mupamhadzi, who said, assuming that the present government comes into power again, it must cultivate cordial relationships with the outside community, in order to ameliorate the foreign currency shortage currently plaguing the economy. He hoped that concerted efforts would be put by all stakeholders in the economy to create and enabling environment for investment.

 

Run-away inflation remains the bugbear of the economy. The rate of inflation is deemed a crucial economic variable because of its grave effects on the poor. Analysts say that the continued increase in broad money supply against a background of falling economic activity has been fuelling inflationary pressures in the economy.

 

During the last quarter of 2001, the increase in inflation was underpinned by significant increases in both food and non-food inflation.

 

The current inflation crisis is a testimony of the evils of economic mismanagement and comes at a time when inflation in the country's major trading partners, notably Sadc, is declining. This has adversely affected investment opportunities and increased the risk of doing business in Zimbabwe.

 

According to Mupamhadzi, inflation was expected to remain unsustainably high in 2002, mainly driven by excessive monetary growth, continued weakening of the Zimbabwe dollar in the parallel market, and the wage bill inflation spiral.

 

He said the country's budget deficit anticipated to reach $138 billion in 2002 and to be financed from the domestic market will put upward pressure on money supply this year.

 

Chibota said he personally thought that the measures introduced by finance and economic development minister, Simba Makoni, last year to prop up the economy had generally not been as effective as they were intended to because of the static exchange rate system. This system was hurting most businesses, especially exporters.

 

Zimbabweans go to the polls on 9 and 10 March to choose a new president. Incumbent President, Robert Mugabe, faces a stiff challenge for the post from the MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai.

BBC

 

Tuesday, 26 February, 2002, 21:53 GMT

Dr Moyo resigned after attacks on businesses

No Briton Should Own Land in Zimbabwe

 

Xinhuanet 2002-02-27 04:45:46
 
   HARARE, February 26 (Xinhuanet) -- Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe said here Tuesday that his country should impose sanctions
on Britain and ensure that no one from that country owns land in
the southern African country.
   Mugabe made the remarks while addressing thousands of Zimbabwe
African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) supporters in
Dzivarasekwa High density suburb in Harare in his ongoing campaign
program for the March presidential election.
   He said some European countries, particularly Britain have
imposed targeted sanctions against him, his family and members of
his government because the former colonial power was opposed to
the land resettlement program.
   "Who went to whose country, it's the British who came here, why
should I go to Britain? There it's cold everyday, is that a
country?" said Mugabe.
   He said the whites were giving the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) money so that they could fight against
other blacks.
   "Zimbabwe should totally belong to the blacks. The whites want
to destroy the country's history," said Mugabe.
   Mugabe said the government has done almost everything for the
nation but has not yet finished giving land to the people.
   Zimbabweans are expected to vote in a crucial presidential
election on March 9 and 10, which pits Mugabe and Morgan
Tsvangirai of the MDC as the major contestants.
  Other candidates are Shakespear Maya of the National Alliance
for Good Governance as well as independent candidates Wilson
Khumbula and Paul Siwela.  Enditem
  

ABC Australia

 

Wed, Feb 27 2002 9:23 AM AEDT

 

 

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has accused the United States of interfering in the country's presidential election scheduled for early next month.

 

President Mugabe also claims the US is trying to defend opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai against charges of treason.

 

President Mugabe criticised the United States and accused it of interfering in the presidential poll, during a rally in the Zimbabwean capital Harare.

 

Mr Mugabe made the remarks after US officials condemned the laying of treason charges against opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai.

 

Mr Tsvsangirai, along with opposition secretary general Welshman Ncube and Shadow Lands Minister Renson Gasela have been accused of plotting to kill President Mugabe.

 

All three men say the allegations are a part of an attempt to smear the opposition in the lead up to next month's presidential election

Guardian

 

U.S. Doubts Zimbabwe Treason Claim

 

Tuesday February 26, 2002 9:20 PM

 

WASHINGTON (AP)- The State Department said Tuesday it is not aware of any evidence that Zimbabwean opposition presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and two senior aides may have engaged in treasonous activities, as the government has alleged.

 

Tsvangirai was charged with treason on Monday for allegedly plotting to assassinate Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe. He has not been arrested.

 

Noting that the two aides may face similar charges, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said government officials have yet to provide any substantiation of the allegations.

 

``This appears to be another blatant example of President Mugabe's increasingly authoritarian rule and his government's apparent determination to discredit, intimidate and repress the opposition in the approach to the presidential election,'' Boucher said.

 

The elections are set for March 9-10. Mugabe is seeking re-election.

The Age, Melbourne

 

 

AFP|Published: Wednesday February 27, 3:51 PM

 

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Robert Mugabe has not accepted an invitation to join other leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (GHOGM) in Queensland this week-end. With an election due the following weekend, he has bigger domestic fish to fry.

 

HARARE, AFP/AP/AAP - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, a former revolutionary hero accused of waging an increasingly autocratic campaign against opponents, faces the fiercest battle of his two-decade rule in showdown presidential elections next month.

 

Despite an international outcry over his rights record, an economy on the brink of collapse and widespread violence in the countryside, Mugabe is resolved to hang on to power.

 

In December the 78-year-old vowed to wage a "total war" against the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, in the presidential vote on March 9-10.

 

This week he delivered on that promise in the most unexpected way - Tsvangirai was arrested over an alleged plot to kill Mugabe.

 

Party secretary-general Welshman Ncube and lawmaker Renson Gasela were also charged, according to their lawyer, Innocent Chagonda.

 

Tsvangirai was held for two hours and then released. The two others also were released after being charged.

 

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher described the move as: "Another blatant example of President Mugabe's increasingly authoritarian rule and his government's apparent determination to discredit, intimidate and repress the opposition in the approach to the presidential election."

 

The charges against Tsvangirai stemmed from several viedeotaped meetings he had with a Canadian consulting firm that was secretly working for the government.

 

In one of them, repeatedly broadcast on Zimbabwean state television, Tsvangirai and the consultants discussed Mugabe's "elimination."

 

Tsvangirai's party won nearly half the contested 120 seats in June 2000 parliamentary polls and is a favourite among urban voters.

 

"This is war. This is not a game," Mugabe told his ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) when it endorsed his presidential candidacy in December.

 

Mugabe, once hailed as a liberator from white Rhodesian rule, has pinned his political hopes on a program to hand over 10 million hectares of white-owned farmland to impoverished black farmers.

 

The plan and his crackdowns on opposition members, judges, and journalists have triggered an uproar and sanctions from the European Union, the United States and the Commonwealth.

 

Even before this week's arrests, Mugabe had attacked his opponents as traitors, polarising opinion among his countrymen as never before.

 

The land reforms, which aim to address colonial-era injustices, have been marred by violent invasions of white farms by pro-government militants, openly supported by the president.

 

Police have rarely moved in to halt the violence, which has left at least 66 people dead in the last two years and displaced another 42,000, according to rights groups.

 

Last month Mugabe was again on the political warpath as his party tried to push through draconian security and media legislation the opposition claims would entrench the president's powers.

 

The ZANU-PF also vowed to circumvent parliamentary procedures and ram through an electoral law that would ban independent election monitors from the March vote.

 

An intellectual who initially embraced Marxism, Mugabe was praised when he won the elections which ended white-minority rule in 1980, a few weeks after Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain.

 

Born on February 21, 1924, at Kutama Mission northwest of the capital Harare, he qualified as a teacher at the age of 17.

 

He took his first steps in politics when he enrolled at Fort Hare University in South Africa, where he met many of southern Africa's future black nationalist leaders.

 

He then resumed teaching, moving to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Ghana before returning to Zimbabwe in 1960.

 

As a member of various nationalist parties which were banned by the white-minority government, he was detained with other nationalist leaders in 1964 and spent the next 10 years in prison camps or jail.

 

He used those years to consolidate his position in the Zimbabwe African National Union and emerged from prison in November 1974 as ZANU leader. He then left for Mozambique from where his banned party was launching guerrilla attacks on Rhodesia.

 

Economic sanctions and war forced Rhodesian leader Ian Smith to negotiate.

 

Mugabe's renamed ZANU-Patriotic Front, which drew most of its support from the ethnic Shona majority, swept to power in elections which ended white-minority rule in 1980, a few weeks after Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain.

 

The former guerrilla leader announced a policy of reconciliation with the country's white minority. But most left and there are now only 70,000 to 80,000 whites -- less than one per cent of the population -- left.

 

In his early years Mugabe was widely credited with improving health and education for the black majority but social services later declined.

 

In 1990 he tried to establish a one-party state along Chinese lines but was opposed by a majority of his own party and backed down.

 

In October 2001, with inflation at 85 per cent, unemployment over 50 per cent and foreign reserves exhausted, Mugabe declared an end to market reforms and a return to socialism.

 

The decision was criticised as an electoral ploy that "had no relevance to the problems economy is facing".

 

Notwithstanding the country's economic woes, Mugabe had already awarded himself 25 per cent pay rise, and backdated to the start of 2001.

 

It took his pay and allowances to 1.6 million Zimbabwe dollars (about $A60,000) a year, tax-free. The average income of ordinary Zimbabweans has declined in recent years to about 15,000 Zimbabwe dollars ($A540) a year.

 

About 70 per cent of Zimbabwe's 12.5 million people live below the international poverty line.

 

Mugabe lives in an official state-owned residence but has commissioned the building of a private mansion in northern Harare at a cost of more than 50 million Zimbabwe dollars ($A2 million).

 

In a recent tribute for his 78th birthday, the state-run Herald newspaper ran a 16-page birthday supplement, crammed with ruling party campaign advertisements and birthday wishes, mostly from state-owned enterprises.

 

One article said Mugabe "continues to defy age."

 

It quoted him saying: "I work very long days. I wake up at about 4.30 am and brush my teeth and exercise for (up to) one and a half hours."

 

"I survive on one meal a day, just one good meal. There is no time for two meals ... but one needs a good breakfast. I have porridge and an egg in the morning.

 

"The egg is boiled for just a minute to ensure that its nutritive value is not reduced by overcooking."

 

Commonwealth leaders expected to fudge their decision on Zimbabwe's suspension

 

Ewen MacAskill, and Andrew Meldrum in Harare
Wednesday February 27, 2002
The Guardian

 

The Commonwealth is preparing to fudge the issue of Zimbabwe's suspension this weekend, in spite of Robert Mugabe's government yesterday filing fresh treason charges against the country's opposition party.
The new charges were filed against two deputies of the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, who was charged on Monday for allegedly plotting to assassinate Mr Mugabe.

 

Welshman Ncube, secretary general of the MDC, and the shadow agriculture minister, Renson Gasela, were charged with being part of the plot.

 

Britain and other countries have dismissed the treason charges as a last-ditch attempt by Mr Mugabe to stay in power.

 

But although Zimbabwe is top of the agenda for the Commonwealth heads of government biennial meeting in Brisbane, diplomatic sources said yesterday they were shying away from punitive action.

 

Commonwealth rules at present allow for suspension only of countries where there has been a coup, such as Pakistan. The sources said the Commonwealth, which has 54 members, will agree to a change of rules that will widen the criteria for suspension to include attempts to interfere in elections, including intimidation of voters.

 

But the organisation is expected to fudge the issue of Zimbabwe by delaying a decision on implementing suspension until after the election, due to take place on March 9-10. A source said: "If Commonwealth election observers report after the election there had been intimidation, that could trigger Zimbabwe being thrown out."

 

The election takes place only days after the Commonwealth conference ends. There has been speculation that Mr Mugabe chose the date in the hope that the Commonwealth would not act against him so close to the election.

 

The compromise formula is likely to lead to accusations of the Commonwealth being too soft in dealing with Mr Mugabe. It puts a lot of store by working by consensus and many African leaders are uneasy about suspending Zimbabwe.

 

Britain, which will be represented at the Brisbane talks by the prime minister, Tony Blair, and the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, will push for suspension.

 

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "There is no place in the Commonwealth for a country that is prepared to inflict such suffering on its own people."

 

A team of 10 Commonwealth ministers set up two years ago to investigate reforms to the rules is to present a report to the heads of government recommending widening the scope for suspension.

 

The review was proposed by Mr Blair at the last heads of government meeting in Durban, South Africa.

 

The Commonwealth could in theory enforce the new rules within 24 hours of adopting them. But the diplomatic sources said there is an unwillingness to suspend Zimbabwe, especially while Commonwealth election observers are in the country.

 

Although Mr Mugabe barred British election observers and European Union observers have pulled out, there are 45 Commonwealth observers in Zimbabwe. They will take up their posts across the country today.

 

Mr Mugabe has not yet ruled out attending the Commonwealth meeting, though it seems unlikely that he would leave Zimbabwe so close to the election. If he does not attend, Zimbabwe is likely to be represented by its foreign minister, Stan Mudenge.

 

The treason charges against Mr Tsvangirai and his deputies provide Mr Mugabe with a chance to cling to power if he were to lose the election. Polls show that Mr Tsvangirai has up to 70 % support in the presidential contest.

 

Mr Tsvangirai yesterday claimed to be relaxed about the charges: "I have neither been affected by the treason charges nor have the people of Zimbabwe been confused by these charges. The people are more concerned about the hunger in the country, the collapsing economy and the lack of jobs than they are about these fanciful tales.

 

"I am being persecuted by a desperate man who has run out of ideas to manage the country's economy."

 

The treason charges follow a meeting Mr Tsvangirai had with Canadian political consultants in December. The allegation is that he tried to hire them to assassinate Mr Mugabe.

 

Yesterday he rebuffed the charges: "These are contrived charges to try to implicate me in the eyes of the Zimbabwean public. We were set up by people we hired to be our lobby group. If these treason charges are serious, why am I scot free and able to travel around?"

 

Mr Tsvangirai said he is determined to carry on with his campaign. "The people of Zimbabwe will not be cowed and neither will I," he said.

Wednesday February 27, 12:51 AM
 
 Yahoo! News
·  
Mugabe heads to powerbase
By Stella Mapenzauswa
 

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe returns to his rural powerbase today as the opposition mounts a legal challenge to a police ban on planned weekend rallies in Harare and Bulawayo ahead of March elections.

 

With 10 days to go to the presidential elections, Mugabe will hit the campaign trail in Mashonaland Central in the far north of the country as he seeks to harness the rural vote and extend his 22 years in power by a further six years.

 

Mugabe has embarked on a controversial land reform programme to redistribute farmland from the white-owned minority to the majority black population, and polls show he draws most support from rural areas.

 

But polls also show many people are reluctant to indicate how they will vote in the March 9-10 elections.

 

Tension is mounting ahead of the elections and international pressure rising. The deteriorating situation in the country, where Mugabe has been accused of trying to rig the elections, is expected to dominate a Commonwealth summit next week.

 

Mugabe's opponent Morgan Tsvangirai was charged with high treason on Monday, a crime that carries the death penalty in Zimbabwe, over an alleged plot to assassinate Mugabe.

 

Tsvangirai said on Tuesday police had also banned his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party from holding planned weekend rallies in Harare and Bulawayo, MDC strongholds.

 

"We went to court to seek an interdict to allow us to continue with the Bulawayo rally. I understand that the latest position is that the rally has been cancelled and so is a pre-authorised rally here in Harare on Sunday," he said after a meeting with international observers.

 

NO COMMENT ON TREASON

 

Zimbabwean police charged two more senior opposition figures with treason on Tuesday. MDC Secretary-General Welshman Ncube and MDC member of parliament Renson Gasela were accused of conspiring with Tsvangirai to oust 78-year-old Mugabe.

 

Mugabe has not yet commented on the charges or accusations that his ruling ZANU-PF is persecuting the MDC leadership ahead of the election.

 

Like Tsvangirai, Ncube and Gasela denied any guilt and were released on bail after they were charged.

 

Tsvangirai, who presents the stiffest challenge to Mugabe's 22-year rule, says he believes the government will not try to stop him from contesting the election.

 

The MDC hopes to turn public anger over a crumbling economy, now in its fourth straight year of recession, and severe food shortages into victory at the polls.

 

The United States and Britain have accused Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe's independence from Britain in 1980, of trying to fix the election. The U.S. and the European Union have already clamped sanctions on Mugabe and his inner circle.
 

CFU Sitrep Mon 25 Feb 2002