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Zimbabwe to investigate violence accusations-MDC
24 Oct 2007 14:45:43 GMT
Source: Reuters
By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will investigate accusations of political violence against opposition activists by security forces and ruling party supporters, the main opposition party said on Wednesday.

Zimbabwean Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi met opposition officials who chronicled cases of alleged politically motivated violence by the police, army, intelligence services and supporters of President Robert Mugabe.

"He assured us that once the investigation is over he will call us again to give us a full answer as to what he has discovered," Sam Nkomo, a senior official of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told reporters.

There was no immediate comment on Wednesday's meeting from the government.

The MDC said last week that the government was escalating a violent crackdown against its members, but would not walk away from talks with the ruling ZANU-PF.

Mugabe, who denies allegations of widespread human rights abuses, accuses the opposition of carrying out and fomenting violence and working with Western powers to oust him.

Mugabe's ZANU-PF and the MDC are holding talks mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki as part of regional efforts to end Zimbabwe's deepening economic crisis and promote political reconciliation.

The negotiations have yielded a compromise constitutional amendment allowing Mugabe to pick a successor if he retires mid-term while the president's powers to choose members of parliament have been curbed.

MDC officials said Mohadi indicated that the government wanted the talks to be "fruitful for the country and anything that will jeopardise (the talks) is not encouraged".

Opposition officials have said they recorded more than 4,122 alleged cases of political violence since January.

The MDC said it informed Mohadi of what it said was a ZANU-PF plot to burn its campaign vehicle fleet ahead of next year's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Mohadi said he was not aware of the plot but promised to investigate, Nkomo said.

The opposition has alleged that Zimbabwe's tough security laws, which require political parties to notify the police when holding political gatherings, were applied selectively and that police often ban MDC meetings without reason.

Mohadi said he was not aware that MDC meetings were banned. The opposition would notify police of a planned demonstration to test the minister's sincerity, said Nkomo.
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Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe sits before their EU-Africa summit in Lisbon, December 8, 2007. European and African leaders will seek to forge a fresh partnership to tackle issues like trade, immigration and peacekeeping this week when they hold their first summit in seven years. REUTERS/Nacho Doce (PORTUGAL)



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