Zimbabwe opposition activists appear in court

The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party and about 50 other democracy activists – many of them bandaged and bruised – were taken to hospitals following a court appearance today, two days after they were arrested and reportedly beaten for trying to attend an opposition meeting.

The activists were ferried to private hospitals in ambulances and other vehicles under police guard as their lawyers said the state intended to charge them with incitement to violence.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, walked slowly to an ambulance looking disoriented but able to board a minibus unaided.

A crowd outside the court sang and waved the opposition party’s open hand salute. Tsvangirai did not respond but others in the vehicle returned the salute.

He left with about six other activists who were part of a group of 14 a court had ordered be sent for medical care. The others were taken in three ambulances and other vehicles to hospitals later in the afternoon. Many were not visibly wounded but complained of bruises and internal injuries.

A lawyer for the group, Beatrice Mtetwa, said the state intended to charge the activists with incitement to violence and that bail had not been granted to any of them.

Tsvangirai was allegedly tortured after being arrested when police crushed the gathering on Sunday that was organised as a prayer meeting by a coalition of opposition, church and civic groups under the “Save Zimbabwe” banner.

“The right side of Morgan’s face was swollen as was his eyes which were bloodshot but he seemed coherent. It was damn barbaric,” said Britain’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Andrew Pocock, who was in court.

He said Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of Tsvangirai’s party, who appeared to have a broken arm and head wounds, sat next to Tsvangirai.

“It’s been a grave mistake by government. This has done more for reunification of the opposition than formal talks could have done,” the British ambassador said.

In the wake of the violence, opposition activists have vowed to continue pressuring the government.

The US ambassador to Zimbabwe, Christopher Dell, told the BBC the violence on Sunday was a sign that people in Zimbabwean were becoming increasingly desperate for political change.

“I don’t think it’s so much the beginning of a new phase as another turn of the screw in the ongoing collapse of the Mugabe regime,” Dell said.

“I think the new feature is the growing desperation of the people and for the first time the famously passive Zimbabwean people are actually fighting back against the security forces. I think that does mark a new stage in the ongoing crisis.”

On Sunday, one opposition activist, Gift Tandare, was shot dead in unrest surrounding the prayer meeting. Two mourners were slightly injured today at Tandare’s funeral in skirmishes with police.

As the clampdown continued, police raided the main office of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions today.

“Staff were harassed, threatened, some were slapped and beaten up. All offices were searched and flyers, files and some video tapes were seized,” the union said in a statement.

It said the financial administrator, Galileo Chirebvu, was taken away by police who had a search warrant and said they were looking for “subversive material.”

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour added her voice to mounting international criticism of Zimbabwean authorities.

In Washington today, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of the detained Zimbabweans, and said the US held Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe responsible for the safety and well-being of those in custody.

“The world community again has been shown that the regime of Robert Mugabe is ruthless and repressive and creates only suffering for the people of Zimbabwe,” Rice said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the European Union, Amnesty International and the human rights committee of the International Bar Association also have expressed concern and condemnation, but comment from Zimbabwe’s neighbour, particularly regional power South Africa, has been muted.

While expressing concern at Sunday’s violence, South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, in a statement today, urged the Zimbabwean government to ensure respect for the rule of law and urged the opposition to “work towards a climate that is conducive to finding a lasting solution to the current challenges faced by the people of Zimbabwe”.

South Africa has long argued that quiet diplomacy would do more to encourage reform in Zimbabwe than public denunciations, but is under increasing pressure to show results.

“One would hope that in the glaring light of the growing brutality of the Zimbabwean government those (neighbouring) states would finally feel moved to act,” Dell, the US ambassador to Zimbabwe, told the BBC.

Mugabe’s opponents blame him for acute food shortages, inflation of some 1,600% - the highest in the world – and repression and corruption. They have demanded the ouster of 83-year-old Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s only ruler since independence from Britain in 1980.

Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told the BBC’s Network Africa programme today that the police had been attacked by opposition activists.

“The opposition has been involved in violence, caught by police with weapons of destruction and destroying cars and stores and beating up people,” Ndlovu told the BBC. “They’ve been beating up police you know. That is what government cannot tolerate.”