Zimbabwe: The turmoil, reconciliation, and the future!

[Dua]

Morgan Tsvangirai Bring it on ………………I will begin ' Victory tour'

Zimbabwe crisis 'threatens lives'

Tsvangirai to run in second round

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said he will contest a presidential run-off, despite fears of widespread poll violence. Speaking in South Africa, he said people would feel "betrayed" if he did not run, and vowed to return shortly.
Mr Tsvangirai called for an end to violence, as well as full access by international monitors and media.

Official first-round results put him ahead of President Robert Mugabe, but not by enough votes to win outright.

On Saturday, he told reporters that his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had faced a "very difficult" decision but that after consulting supporters in Zimbabwe, it had decided to take part. .............................................

"I am ready, and the people are ready for the final round," he said.

The MDC leader said he expected to return to Zimbabwe in the next two days after a Whirlwind of diplomatic rounds.

Hadi wamwondoe FISADI Mugabe hana pa kukimbilia.

 

[Dua]

Zim Under Military Rule - Dabengwa

Zim Standard

Saturday, 10 May 2008 19:16
Former Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa says the country is virtually under military rule following President Robert Mugabe’s dramatic defeat in the 29 March elections.

Dabengwa, a respected commander of ZIPRA forces and an ally of unsuccessful presidential election candidate Simba Makoni, told journalists on Friday the deployment of soldiers to campaign for Mugabe was an indication the army now ran the country. He said there was a clique in Zanu PF forcing Mugabe to stay on as a figurehead, while a survival strategy, anchored in terror was being deployed throughout the country.

"What we see with the deployment of the army, the militia and the so-called war veterans smacks of a de facto coup," he said. "I have been informed that a clique of powerful people within Zanu PF convinced Mugabe to stay on, despite losing the election. I have their names but I cannot mention them in case I am sued." Last month, the government angrily denied opposition claims Mugabe had been sidelined by army generals who do not want MDC Morgan Tsvangirai to take over the presidency.

Defence forces commander Constantine Chiwenga, police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri and prison boss Paradzai Zimondi, swore publicly they would "never salute" Tsvangirai if he beat Mugabe to the presidency. The army has been linked to the post-election violence targeted at MDC supporters. In one incident, the government blamed the victims after soldiers shot at unarmed civilians. Last week the army "categorically distanced itself and any of its members from such activities".

"We acknowledge that there is violence but it must be noted that the perpetrators are not genuine war veterans," Dabengwa said. "Imagine the youngest combatant in 1980 was probably 15 and this means that they should be 45 now.

"So most of the so-called war veterans you see today are too young to have participated in the liberation struggle." Levels of organised violence and torture have escalated dramatically
during the last fortnight in Zimbabwe amid mounting tension over the disputed elections. Dabengwa said the only solution to the worsening problems was a transitional government of national unity (GNU), which would lead the country for a maximum of two years while fresh elections were being organised.

He said Mugabe could not be part of the new set-up and Tsvangirai as the candidate who received the most votes should be allowed to form the new government. "Mugabe was amenable to the idea of a GNU before the mafia stopped him from stepping down," said Dabengwa. "The winner in this election is the
leader with the mandate of the people and he must lead this formation. "The leader can then choose a prime minister from the party that came second best, which in this case is Zanu PF."

Meanwhile, Dabengwa allayed fears that his life was under threat from war veterans and State agents following rumours that he was seriously injured when his Nyamandlovu farm was allegedly invaded. He said Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents had visited him last week to check if he was still alive following the persistent rumours. "This morning (Friday) I had a visit from the CIO wanting to find out if I was still alive, " he said. "When I was coming from Botswana recently people were shocked to see me as they thought I was a spook." The former Zipra military intelligence supremo said he was receiving
dozens of calls a day from people checking on his well-being.

Until the Dictactor dies he will not enjoy peace.

 

[KakindoMaster]

Zim Under Military Rule - Dabengwa


Until the Dictactor dies he will not enjoy peace.

Mkuu kama umeisha angalia hili suala la Zimbabwe ni gumu sana kwa sasa baada ya viongozi kutoka nchi mbali mbali za kiafrica kugawanyika.

Southern Africa: SADC Divided Over Zimbabwe

THE crisis in Zimbabwe has exposed divisions among southern African nations who have traditionally supported each other against what they perceive as Western interference, analysts said.

The rifts in the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc), a 14-member regional bloc, are mainly between countries led by anti-colonial national liberation leaders and heads of state driven by a more pro-Western agenda.

Neo Simutanyi, political science lecturer at the University of Zambia, said there is a view among the old guard that Western nations wants to replace leaders such as Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe with "imperialist agents".
"The situation has been worsened by the fact that young leaders are departing from the old culture of solidarity. They want to publicly condemn when things are going wrong in a neighbouring country," Simutanyi said.

A generation of new African leaders, riding on the agenda of democracy and good governance, has emerged within Sadc and wants to change the culture of solidarity between comrades-in-arms based on old friendships.

"The leaders pushing for a hardline stance on Zimbabwe are either third or fourth presidents of their respective countries. They have no strong links to the liberation struggle," said Kapembe Nsingo, chairman of the African Renaissance Institute, a think tank in South Africa.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa--backed by his Botswanan counterpart Ian Khama and Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete--are said to be the only vocal leaders within Sadc who have demanded intervention in Zimbabwe.

Mwanawasa and Khama are third heads of states while Kikwete is the fourth.

"It is difficult for the old leaders to openly share information with the young breed of leaders because they don't trust them," Nsingo said.

Mwanawasa, chairman of Sadc, which was formed in 1980, is a vocal critic of the government in Harare and has come under constant attack by allies of President Mugabe, who perceive him as an agent of neo-colonialism.

It is no wonder, analysts argue, that Sadc has failed to resolve the stand-off in Zimbabwe since the Sadc-appointed mediator, South African President Thabo Mbeki, is viewed as biased towards liberation hero Mugabe.

"Mbeki is a 'scion' of liberation movements. There is no way he can dump President Mugabe at this critical moment," said Campion Mereki in an opinion piece published in Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper.

Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai have often been accused by Zimbabwe officials of receiving financial support by outside powers to pursue an imperialist agenda.
The main leaders in Sadc who have not condemned Mugabe publicly include Mbeki, Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos, Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Mozambican President Armando Guebuza.

All these heads of state share a common background of taking part in the liberation struggle and believe in offering each other solidarity in times of trouble, analysts said.
For the Herald commentator, the outside threat against the liberation struggle is not in doubt. "The West wants to wipe out all liberation movements in Africa, especially in southern Africa," he argued.
Dickson Jere.

 

[Dua]

Mkuu kama umeisha angalia hili suala la Zimbabwe ni gumu sana kwa sasa baada ya viongozi kutoka nchi mbali mbali za kiafrica kugawanyika.

Hiyo issue ipo page 54 tangu tarehe 4 May
pengine ni wewe tu ambaye hujaiona. Zimbabweans have decided that Mugabe must go at whatever cost the damage has been done and they do not depend solely on myopic African leaders ambao wanapata kigugumizi kusema ukweli except few of them kama Zambias na Botswana presidents wengine wote ni unafiki tu.

 

[Dua]

British and American diplomats in roadside standoff with Zimbabwe police

BY: Jan Raath in Mvurwi

Last updated at 16:20pm on 13th May 2008
Zimbabwean police stopped a convoy of ambassadors investigating attacks on opposition supporters today and an officer threateningly drove his car toward the U.S. ambassador during the standoff. A UN official, meanwhile, warned that post-election violence could reach crisis levels.

The diplomats involved in the incident at a roadblock on the edge of the capital, Harare, have had tense relations with the government. The group included U.S. Ambassador James McGee and the British envoy. Police demanded the diplomats prove they had official permission for a visit to hospitals and an alleged torture camp they had just completed. Mr McGee insisted the convoy be allowed through and the 11 vehicles passed through after about an hour. A police car escorted them back to the U.S. Embassy before disappearing.

The incident reached its high point when a police officer threatened to beat one of McGee's senior aides. The officer got into his car and lurched toward McGee after he had demanded the officer's name. The car made contact with McGee's shins, but he was not injured. McGee climbed onto the hood of the car while his aide snatched the keys from the ignition, then the diplomats used their mobile phone cameras to take photographs of the officer.

The confrontation was "a message to us, to try to control what we are doing," said U.S. Embassy spokesman Paul Engelstad, who was among around 50 diplomats and journalists on the tour. Japanese, EU, Dutch and Tanzanian envoys and an Associated Press reporter were also in the convoy. McGee noted the government has denied repeated reports from opposition officials and human rights groups of government-orchestrated violence against the opposition.

"The government has said, 'Present us with proof.' I think today we have done just that. "We do have concrete proof of what is happening in the countryside and the government will have to listen," Mr McGee said. A priest in northeastern Zimbabwe had led the diplomats to a lumber camp whose main building was occupied by that witnesses told reporters were ruling party militants.

McGee said when he confronted them, they hid four notebooks with interrogation schedules. The priest also led the diplomats to a church hospital where 22 people were being treated after political attacks, some beaten so severely the flesh had been stripped from their backs. Doctors and nurses at the hospital said one person had died at the hospital and another three had died in nearby villages after political attacks in the last month. The diplomats and journalists saw several other victims at a second hospital.

The UN resident representative in Zimbabwe spoke of the escalating tensions
in both rural and urban areas. "There are indications that the level of violence is escalating in all these areas and could reach crisis levels," Agustino Zacarias told reporters. He said the violence was preventing UN humanitarian agencies from reaching people in need and had forced them to scale down operations. Mr Zacarias said "several people" had died, hundreds had been hospitalized and many more displaced by the violence, which was blamed on "some elements
of the security forces, youth militias and war veterans and gangs of supporters."

He said there was an emerging pattern of violence targeting rural supporters
of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Non-governmental organizations and civil rights defenders were being targeted, Mr Zacarias said.
The UN representative's comments echoed those McGee made in an open letter to media organisations published yesterday in the state-run Herald
newspaper. The letter accused President Robert Mugabe's party of orchestrating violence to intimidate opposition supporters before a runoff presidential election.

Mr McGee said the U.S. government has received confirmed reports of at least 20 deaths and more than 700 incidents of violence resulting in more than 200 people being hospitalized since the first round of voting March 29. The paper in turn criticized McGee, accusing him of "very scandalous acts" and of breaching diplomatic procedure by speaking out on the violence that has raven Zimbabwe since the first round.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first round,
but not the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff, according to official results. Observers inside and outside Zimbabwe have questioned whether a second round could be free and fair with the opposition unable to campaign freely because of attacks and threats.
No date for a runoff has been set.

The run-off has been set now at 90 days ....


States in Transition Observatory

Idasa
May 12, 2008

When the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission finally announced the results of the Presidential election, quite apart from the relief that they were finally announced, there were two predominant reactions. The first was a total lack of surprise that Morgan Tsvangirai had beaten Robert Mugabe: all the indications from every source, as well as the evident disbelief of Zanu PF and the subsequent shenanigans of ZEC, were that this would be the case. The second reaction was the lack of surprise that ZEC had not announced Morgan Tsvangirai as the outright winner with an absolute majority.

It was clear to all concerned that the results were known in detail by Monday, 31 March, and there have been a number of "leaks" to this effect, all suggesting that Tsvangirai won outright. If the Electoral Act had been followed to the letter, then Morgan Tsvangirai would have been sworn in as President of Zimbabwe, and Robert Mugabe would have had no further recourse except by election petition. So, it was clear to all that a run off result had to be engineered, and thence followed the farce of the recount, a wholly unlawful recount according to the Electoral Act.

It was also clear to all that there had to be a delay in order for a very shocked Zanu PF to re-organise and decide what to do. Zanu PF had to prepare for a run off as well as provide the grounds for a run off. After a short hiatus, the strategy emerged, and a well-worn strategy it was, quite apart from the delay in announcing results. (We will return to the results later).

The first move was to re-invent the "land" gambit, and, after announcing that white farmers were rushing back to claim their farms, the "people" began to invade the remaining 400 farms. By all accounts, these invasions have been more violent and intimidatory than those between 2000 and 2005, even worse than 2000 or 2002. This was the public strategy, but it was accompanied by an even more sinister strategy, one that had also worked in 2000 and 2002, and this was the unleashing of the militia, under military supervision - but more blatant military supervision than has been the case previously. As in 2002, the violence had the purpose of retribution for voting against Zanu PF, for, as in 2002, it was evident, but more so in 2008, that rural people had voted against Zanu PF. But in 2008, it also has the purpose of driving out any vestige of the MDC form the rural areas, and obviously handicapping the MDC in any preparations for a run off.

Whilst all this was going on, there was still the problem of engineering a re-run, and this was much more problematic for the results published by ZEC for the Senate, and the House of Assembly seemed valid and reliable according to a number of independent estimates, including the MDC. ZEC did not and has not announced the Local Government results, but Justice Chiweshe has claimed that there is no need to as they were already published at the Ward command centres. As an aside, this is highly contradictory given that ZEC felt the need to publish all other results, and to "scrupulously" ensure that the results of the Senate, the House of Assembly, and the Presidency were correct.

Thus, a high old farce ensued. The House of Assembly results were announced over days and days, and eventually it emerged that MDC Tsvangirai had a majority, and that the opposition had an absolute, but not a constitution changing, majority. However, it was majority enough to suggest that the former opposition would now become the government, or there would be severe problems for Robert Mugabe, if he won the presidential poll outright, and Zanu PF in governing as a minority government. They would be unable to pass a Bill or even obtain the finance necessary to govern without the total cooperation of the "opposition." The farce then continued with the tedious announcement of the Senate results, and it emerged that the two groups, Zanu PF and the MDC's, were even.

Zim cops in hospital stand-off with US envoy

Mvurwi, Zimbabwe

13 May 2008 05:43
Armed police tried to prevent the United States ambassador to Zimbabwe and several other diplomats from leaving a hospital where victims of post-election violence were being treated Tuesday, an Agence France-Presse correspondent with the convoy said. Ambassador James McGee and four colleagues tried unsuccessfully to tour a hospital in Mvurwi, about 80km north of Harare, without prior approval and then found their exit blocked by four armed police.

A stand-off lasting around 10 minutes ensued before McGee strode
forward and opened the gates to leave the government hospital himself. "I can only speculate that it was just a message for us not to go and expose this. Obviously they didn't want us to see the brutality ... happening in the rural areas," US embassy spokesperson Paul Engelstad told reporters.

McGee, who travelled to the countryside with fellow diplomats from Britain, The Netherlands, Japan and the European Union, called it "a minor, very minor misunderstanding" with a security officer. Later as the convoy left for the capital, it was detained at a roadblock for almost an hour where police asked for proof the diplomats had followed procedures requiring them to notify the authorities of their travel plans.

"They wanted to check that we had put in a diplomatic note. They asked for our diplomatic note which they were shown," said the US embassy spokesperson. After being rebuffed at the first hospital, the convoy travelled to visit another, where they were able to spend 30 minutes touring wards and visiting victims of violence. "I think it is absolutely urgent that the entire world knows what's happening in Zimbabwe," McGee said. "The [Zimbabwe] government has said 'present us with proof of what is happening' ... now we have concrete proof of what is happening," he added.

British ambassador to the country, Andrew Pockock, said the violence was "pretty well organised, well calculated and very disturbing."

"This is an effort to change the voting demography in Zimbabwe either by beating people and intimidating them or displacing them ... so they don't vote," he said. Leoni Cuelenaere, deputy head of mission at The Netherlands embassy, said she was "shocked" by what she saw in the hospital. Of the political violence, EU ambassador Xavier Marcel said: "We all wish that it [the violence] can be stopped as soon as possible." – AFP

Watetezi wa serikali za kimabavu karibumi.

 

[Dua]

Welcome to Harare International Airport, you are officially a billionare as from now.

 

[Lunyungu]

Sakata la ZNZ ndilo nitaanza kukupa picha kamili juu ya ZANU/PF na CCM kuwa damu damu na mawazo yale yale kwamba Nchi hizi ni mali za vyama hivi kisa wao wanacho taka ni madaraka pekee .

 

[Dua]

Zimbabwe bank issues $500m note

A 10m Zimbabwe dollar note
was issued earlier this year

The two rivals are to face each
other again before the end of July

The central bank has issued a 500m Zimbabwe dollar banknote, worth US$2, to try to ease cash shortages amid the world's highest rate of inflation. The previous highest denomination note was for Z$250m, issued 10 days ago. Meanwhile, the opposition has rejected the move to delay the presidential run-off, possibly until July, saying it was a government ploy to stay in power. It called for an emergency regional summit, urging neighbouring countries to take "firm resolutions".

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai gained more votes than President Robert Mugabe in the first round on 29 March, but did not pass the 50% threshold to be elected, according to the official results. "We would like to express our great outrage at that disregard of Zimbabwe's laws and the people's will," MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti told a news conference in South Africa.

In a statement, he said the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) should "take note of the massacres taking place in the country". Meanwhile, an election observer group has appealed for clothing, bedding and food for monitors affected by the violence. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network deployed 8,000 monitors for the March polls and says some of its members have been assaulted and had their homes burnt down, with new cases daily. Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate is 165,000% and one economist said prices now double every week.

'Survive'

"Prices are now doubling every week instead of every month and it is hard to see how we can survive to the end of June or how an election will be feasible at all if things continue to deteriorate at this pace," said Harare economist John Robertson, according to the AP news agency. This is the fourth set of new banknotes to be introduced this year. At independence in 1980, one Zimbabwe dollar was worth more than US$1.

Just one in five of the adult population is believed to have a formal job and some three million people have left the country for a new life in South Africa. The economy has been in trouble for several years, with supplies of basic foodstuffs, cooking oil and petrol all running low. The government has also suspended import duty on some basic goods, such as cooking oil, rice and soap in a bid to counter inflation.

The run-off was due to be held by 23 May - 21 days after the results of the first round were announced - but the government has issued an emergency law to give it 90 days to organise the new poll. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) said it was not possible to hold the run-off so quickly.

Joint investigation

But Mr Biti said that Zec's decision was unconstitutional. "In short, Zec's decision cements the coup against the constitution," he said in a statement. He added that 35 people have been killed in a campaign of violence around the country since the election on 29 March, and "thousands displaced, thousands tortured and hundreds of houses burnt". He said that Sadc had so far failed to give decisive leadership on Zimbabwe. He called for the body to send peace observers and monitoring police or an army unit to enforce peace.

Meanwhile, the justice minister has proposed establishing cross-party teams to probe acts of political violence. "Whenever there is a claim of an act of politically motivated violence committed, it should be very good that we form joint teams made up of the Zanu-PF and MDC so that we can establish the veracity of these claims," Patrick Chinamasa told state television. The MDC had threatened to boycott the second round of voting after accusing Zanu-PF of trying to rig it but over the weekend Mr Tsvangirai said he would take part. He has been in neighbouring countries since the first round because of alleged threats to his life. Bu the MDC said on Wednesday that Mr Tsvangirai would return to address a rally in Bulawayo on Sunday.

Zimbabweans (especially MDC members) have decided to eat at the same table with Robert Mugabe. We gonna see a lot of twist on this saga. The country does not have a president elect for more than two months now ...

 

[Single D]

Hiyo nadhani inanua mikate miwili tu

 

[Ochu]

kazi ipo. hii ndio africa zaidi ya uijuavyo!!

 

[LazyDog]

Z$500m banknote, worth US$2

Ukiwa na hizo noti mbili (1 Billion Zimbabwe dollar) ni sawa na 5,000 ya Bongo

 

[Mwazange]

Akwiii.....Kuwa trilionea Zimbwabwe sio kazi kubwa kumbe ...Nitaenda kuishi huko kidogo ili angalau nijiite bilionea kwa muda....

 

[Jamco_Za]

Hata anapendwa kiasi gani this man should step down kwa manufaa ya taifa, ni kweli matatizo yanasababishwa na vikwazo lakini ukiona wewe utakiwi na jumuhiya ya kimataifa kwa manufaa ya taifa lako its better you step down na kuwaachia wengine wajenge nchi.

tunapenda kulaumu nchi za nje kwa matatizo yetu wenyewe badala ya mtu kuchukua responsibility kuwa ndo amesababisha uchumi kuyumba analaumu vikwazo, vikwazo viliwekwa kwa sababu ya nani.

Ni kweli sera ya aridhi ilikuwa nzuri lakini utekelezaji wake haukuwa wa kibinadamu Mugabe alitaka kupata credit kutokana na kutekeleza sera hiyo ambayo at the end of the day imesababisha njaa kwa nchi na majirani zake na kuangusha uchumi wa taifa lilikuwa linaonekana kama ni muhimili wa uchumi kusini mwa africa.

 

[Steve Dii]

Gado cartoons, credit: nationmedia.com

 

[Gang Chomba]

mtajiju uchaguzi mpaka julai mwishoniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, so hao vibaraka watakuwa wameshajichokea....mugabe the champ

 

[Nemesis]

mtajiju uchaguzi mpaka julai mwishoniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, so hao vibaraka watakuwa wameshajichokea....mugabe the champ

Hiyo Julai mwishoni umeitoa wapi? Tume ya uchaguzi ya Zimbabwe imetangaza tarehe 27 June siyo hiyo Julai yako... it is time for former hero Dictor Mugabe to go. Shame upon him.

 

[think BIG]

Zimbabwe run-off in 90 days

THE Zimbabwe government moved to end speculation about the date of an overdue presidential election run-off on Thursday, announcing that the poll would be held within 90 days of May 2, when official results of the disputed first round of voting was released.

Results from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of the disputed March 29 election showed opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat veteran President Mugabe in the presidential poll, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.

In a parliamentary election held on the same day, the ruling Zanu PF party lost its majority to the opposition for the first time since independence from Britain in 1980.

In a special government notices gazette published on Wednesday, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said: "Not withstanding Section 110 of the Electoral Act, the period within which a second election for the office of the president is hereby extended from 21 days to 90 days from the date of announcement of results of the first poll."

Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Reuters, "But to us this is illegal and unfair. It is part of a programme to give Mugabe and Zanu PF time to torment and continue a campaign of violence on the MDC."

The MDC accuses Zanu PF of waging a campaign of violence and intimidation against its supporters as part of efforts to rig the vote. It says 32 of its supporters have been killed in the aftermath of the elections.

The decision to call an election in 90 days was approved at a Zanu PF politburo meeting held earlier on Wednesday.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) now has up to the beginning of August to hold the run off, pitting MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai against the incumbent, Robert Mugabe.

Government gazettes are normally published on Fridays, but this one had to come out earlier to allow for timely notification of the involved parties, government sources said.

- Reuters/Staff Reporter

 

[Dua]

Gado cartoons, credit: nationmedia.com

mtajiju uchaguzi mpaka julai mwishoniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, so hao vibaraka watakuwa wameshajichokea....mugabe the champ

Lazima atashinda tu kwa staili ya Gado

 

[think BIG]

Wakati tunasubiri marudio ya uchaguzi! pata matukio yanayoendelea ..

 

[BAK]

Assassination threat delays Tsvangirai return to Zimbabwe

Chris McGreal, Mark Tran and agencies
guardian.co.uk,
Saturday May 17 2008

Morgan Tsvangirai at the Liberal International Congress in Belfast today. Photograph: Paul Faith/PA

Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has delayed his return home after an assassination plot against him was uncovered, one of his spokesmen said today.

"We have received information from a credible source concerning a planned assassination attempt against President Tsvangirai," George Sibotshiwe told Reuters.

He said Tsvangirai had postponed his return indefinitely while party officials consulted their security experts and regional leaders.

Tsvangirai, who attended a conference in Belfast yesterday, had been due to return to Zimbabwe today after announcing that he would contest the long-delayed run-off presidential election, now set for June 27.

The Movement for Democratic Change leader has reluctantly decided that he must take part in the run-off, otherwise the president, Robert Mugabe, would win unchallenged.

Tsvangirai, who has been out of Zimbabwe for more than a month trying to garner international support, was to return this weekend to start campaigning.

He has said, however, that "violence has to cease for an election to be conducted or that election will not be legitimate".

Mugabe told a party meeting yesterday that the first-round result had been "disastrous" after he trailed behind Tsvangirai, who failed to win an outright majority.

The president said he was not prepared to lose power to an opposition he said was backed by "a hostile axis of powerful foreign governments", according to Reuters.

Since the election, Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party has unleashed a wave of attacks against Tsvangirai supporters that appear to have the twin aims of deterring opposition activists from campaigning and driving opposition supporters from their homes so they cannot vote.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have been displaced, with thousands more beaten or arrested and more than 30 killed, according to the opposition. Amnesty International yesterday described the violence as "reaching crisis levels".

The run-off was called after the election commission declared that Tsvangirai won nearly 48% of the vote in the first round, compared to just over 43% for Mugabe.

The opposition, which believes it was cheated of thousands of votes through ballot-rigging, claims Tsvangirai won 50.3% of the ballot, giving him a slender outright majority.

The MDC had called for the second poll to be held on May 23 in accordance with electoral law, and has described the delay as "irresponsible".

The electoral commission this week extended the deadline for the run-off to 90 days from the official announcement of the first results, saying more time was needed for logistical reasons.

The delay will raise fears the government will have even more time to rig the election and carry out more attacks on Tsvangirai supporters.

The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights said 22 people had died and 900 had been tortured in the past month. The government and officials of the ruling Zanu-PF party have denied responsibility for the violence and have blamed the opposition.

Tsvangirai's party won control of parliament in legislative elections held alongside the presidential vote - the first time since independence 28 years ago that Mugabe's party lost control of parliament.