Zimbabwe's opposition leaders pledge unity

Zimbabwe's opposition leaders pledge unity

MUTAMBARA pictured outside the Magistrates' Court last week

• MDC spokesman attacked at airport

• Mutambara, Kwinjeh, Holland seized at airport

• Tsvangirai discharged from hospital

• Mugabe tells West to 'go and hang'

• Doctors reveal injuries to oppisition activists

• Police stations bombed, MDC accused

• Zimbabwe warns Tsvangirai 'will pay a heavy price'

• Mutambara released, Tsvangirai still in hospital

• US, Britain and New Zealand condemn arrests

• Tsvangirai beaten up as fears grow for Biti, Mutambara

• Police shoot dead MDC supporter in Highfield

• Tsvangirai, Mutambara arrested in joint rally

• Mugabe bans rallies on birthday

• Morgan Tsvangirai: we must express ourselves through action

• David Coltart: a descent into lawlessness

• Mutambara: defying Mugabe, a call to action

• Morgan Tsvangirai: The time to act is now!

• Mutambara: setting the Zimbabwean agenda for 2007

By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S fractious opposition formations have been taking first steps towards reunification after a wave of arrests and violent attacks on its leaders.

Arthur Mutambara, the former NASA rocket scientist now leading a faction of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) last Friday made a series of conciliatory gestures towards the rival faction led by MDC founding president, Morgan Tsvangirai.

The MDC split over 18 months ago following policy differences between Tsvangirai and senior party leaders including his former deputy, Gibson Sibanda and secretary general Welshman Ncube.

Several attempts to heal the rift have failed.

But after two weeks of detentions and beatings, Zimbabwe's opposition leaders are finally considering a united challenge to President Robert Mugabe.

Political and civil leaders, some of whom bore the scars of savage beatings inflicted by the President’s security forces, stood together on a podium last Friday to mark what they said was "the final stage of the final push" to force him out of office.

"Sunday was the demonstration of commitment to working together; there is no better place to demonstrate unity than in the battlefield," said Mutambara.

There were loud cheers when Mutambara declared: "We have our differences but we will manage them. Arthur Mutambara will not stand in an election against Morgan Tsvangirai; Morgan Tsvangirai will not stand against Arthur Mutambara.

"I hope, Robert Mugabe, you sick old man, you are listening," he said.

Tsvangirai, who suffered a severe head injury when security forces broke up an opposition rally on Sunday last week, was unable to attend Friday’s act of reconciliation because of his injuries, officials said.

However, Tendai Biti, his secretary-general, sitting next to Mutambara, endorsed the statement.

The MDC break-up in 2005 was "tragic," he said.

"We have been seeing [in recent weeks] beginning to emerge the unity of opposition. This is the endgame," Biti added.

Mutambara, Tsvangirai and Biti were among a host of top opposition officials arrested ahead of a planned rally organised by the church-driven Save Zimbabwe Coalition.

Many of the arrested activists were subjected to brutal attacks while in police custody. The injured have been prevented from leaving the country to seek treatment abroad.

Mutambara said: "We are in the final stages of the final push. We are going to do it by democratic means, by being arrested, beaten, but we are going to do it. We are continuing with defiance in spite of what Robert Mugabe says. We are talking about rebellion; war."

Asked whether this meant setting aside the MDC’s long commitment to nonviolence, he said: "You can do your own interpretation. Mugabe is fighting against his own people. That is war against the people. Already there is violence."

Mugabe, 83, who has been in power for 27 years since Zimbabwe’s independence from Britain, appeared to be preparing for further confrontations when he gave orders for police to carry guns last week.

A curfew is being enforced in some parts of Harare between 8pm and dawn.

Earlier last week, a defiant Mugabe said that critics in the West could "go hang" in the face of strong international condemnation of his violent treatment of opposition protestors. And on Friday, he gave a warning to Western diplomats not to intervene in Zimbabwe’s domestic affairs or risk expulsion.

His comments are believed to refer to Andrew Pocock, the British Ambassador in Harare, and Christopher Dell, the US Ambassador.

Mugabe made further threats while addressing his Zanu PF party's women's assembly, calling opposition leaders "terrorists".

He blasted: "We have given too much room to mischief-makers and shameless stooges of the West. Let them and their masters know that we shall brook none of their lawless behaviour.

"Scores of innocent people going about their legitimate business have fallen prey to terrorist attacks that are part of the desperate and illegal plot to unconstitutionally change the government of the country."

(Additional reporting Jan Raath, London Times)

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