Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai left for a four-nation regional tour to consult with leaders on the crisis in the southern African country.

Tsvangirai will meet Mozambique president Armando Guebuza in Chimoio on Tuesday. Guebuza is the chairperson on SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.

The MDC leader will also travel to Angola, DRC and will meet SA president Jacob Zuma.

FREED

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) treasurer general and deputy agriculture minister designate Roy Bennett has been released after spending three nights in police custody.
Bennett was released late Friday night following an order by High Court judge Charles Hungwe earlier in the day.

A High Judge on Friday overruled President Robert Mugabe’s nephew’s attempt to keep in prison Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) top official Roy Bennett using a draconian section of the law usually invoked by the regime to keep behind bars opposition and human rights activists granted bail by the courts.

Justice Charles Hungwe issued a declaratory order for the release of Bennett on the same bail terms against Mugabe’s insistence of locking the MDC treasurer general until after seven days in which the state will decide to appeal against the bail order.

Michael Mugabe, a loyal law officer from the Attorney General’s office and nephew to the president invoked Section 121 of the Criminal Procedures and Evidence Act that allows the state to keep in prison any persons granted bail for a maximum of seven days in which the state shall file its appeal against the order.

Bennett, a white former farmer whose land was forcibly acquired under President Mugabe’s chaotic land redistributions, was appointed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai as deputy agriculture minister.

Bennett was sent back to prison on Wednesday, a decision that heightened tempers within the fragile unity government.
Bennett, who was arrested on February 13, the day the unity government was sworn in, is charged with possessing arms for the purposes of banditry, terrorism and inciting acts of insurgency. Bennett denies the charges.

The imprisonment of Bennett was roundly condemned locally and internationally with the European Union leading the chorus of censure.

“The Presidency of the European Union is deeply concerned about the indictment and detention of Roy Bennett, nominated by MDC-T as Deputy Minister for Agriculture in the Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe. This action indicates a lack of commitment to the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA). The Presidency regrets that politically motivated abuse persists in the country. The decision taken yesterday, together with reports during the last few months of unsubstantiated legal measures taken against several MDC Members of Parliament, is cause for serious concern,” the EU said in statement.

“The Presidency calls for an end to politically motivated persecution in Zimbabwe. The EU stands ready to assist the Inclusive Government in implementing the much-needed reforms included in the GPA in the areas of democracy, respect for human rights and restoration of the rule of law. The parties to the GPA agreed last year to build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation and hatred. This commitment should be honoured without delay.”

The MDC said that Bennett’s imprisonment had further compromised the already shacky unity government.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has cut all contact with President Robert Mugabe, stopped attending cabinet and will not “sit with in meetings with an unreliable and repentant partner”.

MDC leader and Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai told journalists after a meeting of his party’s national executive that he will also not attend policy development Monday meetings with Mugabe.

The disengagement effectively means a constitutional crisis in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s seven month old coalition faces collapse as serious fissures stalked by the re-arrest of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s top aide, Roy Bennett.

Reacting to the developments, Tsvangirai cancelled a Council of Ministers meeting in protest over president Robert Mugabe’s refusal to meet him to resolve the matter.

Tsvangirai made several attempts to meet Mugabe, Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Attorney General Johannes Tomana, attempts which were all turned down.

Zimbabwe High Court has given embattled Headlands farmer Charles Lock yet another order allowing him to move his maize and tobacco from the farm, besieged by an unruly army general using armed soldiers.

High Court Judge Rita Makarau on Wednesday confirmed last month’s order by the same court giving the farmer right to move his crops to merchants.

A Zimbabwe magistrate will today rule on whether to grant the state application to remand Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) official Roy Bennett in jail after applying for his terrorism case to be referred to the High Court, seven hours after the scheduled time of commencement of the trial.
“We oppose that. It clear that state has not case and just wants to put Bennett in custody. The state has no evidence, in any case the trial was not going to start because we had not been furnished with their evidence,” said Bennett’s lawyer Trust Maanda.

MDC top official Roy Bennett faces the risk of being locked up again if Attorney General’s office has its way when his trial resumes today (Tuesday).
Sources within the AG’s office revealed that the state lawyer had prepared indictment papers for Bennett and new charges would be preferred against him.
His trial is due to start in the regional court in Mutare this morning.
The Attorney General’s Office is intending to serve indictment papers on Roy Bennett at the start of his trial requesting that the matter be moved to the High Court and that Bennett be remanded in custody,” sources at the AG’s office said.

The Germany government has expressed dismay at the invasion of farms protected under bilateral agreements y President Robert Mugabe’s senior army personnel who have continued to disregard court orders to vacate such farms.
The Germany Embassy said the invasion of Karori Farm by army brigadier Austin Mujaji has cost one of its nationals a portfolio worth US$1.5 million.

Zimbabwe’s highest court has Monday ruled that the government cannot proceed with the prosecution of a leading human rights activist facing charges of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe’s government on the grounds that her abduction and torture in custody violated her rights.

Jestina Mukoko, the leader of Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) group, in February challenged her prosecution at the country’s Supreme Court saying state security agents had abducted her from her home during a dawn raid and torturing her while holding her at secret locations for three weeks.

“The state, through its agents, violated the applicant’s constitutional rights to the extent of entitling the applicant (Mukoko) a permanent stay of criminal prosecution,” said Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku as he delivered the ruling in a packed Supreme Court room in Harare, adding that he would give full details of the reasons for the ruling later.

Monday’s ruling has a direct impact on other human rights and opposition activists who face similar charges, and were subjected to the same conditions. They have applied to the same court to have the charges dropped but are awaiting their ruling.