A villager fought a crocodile with his bare hands to free his son from its jaws, reports in Zimbabwe say.

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe accused the Zimbabwe opposition of lying over political violence to justify claims that next week’s presidential run-off vote will not be free and fair, the official media reported today.

President Robert Mugabe’s branding of opposition supporters as traitors rang out repeatedly on state radio, raising fears of new political violence as his party and its main rival held rallies two days before parliamentary elections.

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe branded opposition supporters as traitors yesterday, raising fears of political violence ahead of Zimbabwe's general election.