Zimbabwean police raid opposition headquarters

HEAVILY armed police swooped down on opposition headquarters and independent election observers’ offices in Harare yesterday, arresting hundreds in the clearest signal to date that the Zimbabwean government intends to hold on to power.

Police seized material from both offices in raids that came a day after the United States declared opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had won the presidential elections.

Zimbabweans are still awaiting official results.

The opposition charges that President Robert Mugabe is using violence and coercion to hold on to power.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change and the independent Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network both claim Tsvangirai won the vote, based on their own surveys of results posted at ballot stations.

A ZESN board member, who witnessed the raid and spoke on condition of anonymity, said police were looking for documentation on the results.

Noel Kututwa, chairman of the organisation, said police wanted to arrest him and his deputy, Rindai Chipfunde-Vava, but that both were away from the office. He accused police of trying to intimidate the group so it would be too weak to monitor a possible run-off.

“They said they were looking for subversive material likely to overthrow the government using unconstitutional means,” Kututwa told the Associated Press.

The opposition said most of those arrested — including pregnant women and mothers with small children — had been seeking refuge after being attacked by ruling party loyalists.

“Their homes were burned,” Thokozani Khupe, an MDC vice president said. “Some have been brutally assaulted.”