Mutambara gets passport, off to Europe

Mutambara gets passport, off to Europe

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By Staff Reporter

ARTHUR Mutambara is set to join Morgan Tsvangirai on a visit to Europe after Zimbabwean police released his passport seized during the arrest of four opposition activists in Harare.

Mutambara was attending the World Economic Forum in South Africa last week and sent his passport to Harare for visa stamping.

Tsvangirai and Mutambara, both presidents of the feuding Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), were scheduled to fly to Europe last Saturday before police took his passport.

The four activists arrested in Harare on Saturday were also released Monday without charge.

Speaking from Johannesburg where he has been stranded, Mutambara accused the Zimbabwe government of attempting to keep the opposition divided.

He told SW Radio Africa: "In particular, they were trying to undermine a Save Zimbabwe Campaign that we were going to take to Europe. Our colleagues Morgan Tsvangirai, (Lovemore) Madhuku, (Bishop Levee) Kadenge and the others have already left so what they have done is to undermine that coalition, to undermine that working together spirit.”

The MDC factions united over the weekend in South Africa only to hold talks with the ruling Zanu PF party, but Mutambara is not banking on the talks to yield any positive outcome.

He added: "What is happening right now – the torture and murder of our members, the torture and abuse of our members, is an indication that Mugabe is not ready for any serious talks with the opposition."

The talks are part of SADC-initiated mediation efforts in Zimbabwe to bring the ruling party and opposition interests groups together to agree the ground rules ahead of general elections next year.
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