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WORLD NEWS Thursday 9 augusT 2018

Zimbabwean opposition official denied asylum, being deported

By FARAI MUTSAKA International election ob-
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — servers and Human Rights
A top Zimbabwean opposi- Watch have condemned
tion official fled to Zambia the violence and intimi-
on Wednesday but was de- dation against opposition
nied asylum and is expect- supporters, urging secu-
ed to face arrest at home rity forces to use restraint.
as concerns rose over a Mnangagwa badly needs
government crackdown the approval of the foreign
after last week's disputed election observers to show
presidential election. the vote was credible so
Tendai Biti, a former finance that international sanctions
minister and a leader of the against the southern Afri-
opposition Movement for can nation could be lifted.
Democratic Change, said Under Mugabe, Zimbabwe
he is going to be deported, was dogged by charges
according to Dewa Mavin- of rigged and fraudulent
ga, southern Africa director elections, along with vio-
with Human Rights Watch. lence against opposition
Mavhinga said Biti told figures. In one of the most
him: "It looks like they have famous incidents, opposi-
made a decision to hand tion leader Morgan Tsvan-
us back to the junta. We In this July, 18, 2012 file photo Tendai Biti, stands outside the Parliament Building in Harare, girai suffered a fractured
are truly in God's hands." Zimbabwe. skull and internal bleeding
Zambia's foreign minister, Associated Press in 2007 when he and other
Joseph Malanji, said the MDC leaders were arrested
reasons Biti gave for seek- tion victory as fraudulent commission did. nouncement that Mnan- and beaten. He died of
ing asylum "did not have and vowed to challenge it The opposition has seven gagwa's ZANU-PF party cancer earlier this year.
merit, so he is being held in in court this week. days from the commis- had won most of the seats "We are back to 2008,"
safe custody and we are Biti, one of the most vocal sion's announcement to in parliament. said Zimbabwean political
trying to take him back to government critics, had file a court challenge, and "We condemn the murders analyst Alexander Rusero,
Zimbabwe." As legal and declared before the of- Chamisa lawyer Thabani of compatriots. We call for referring to violence that
rights activists attempted to ficial election results were Mpofu said the MDC will restraint," Biti tweeted after marked that year's elec-
put together an urgent ap- announced Friday that do so. That would delay the crackdown. tions. "Violence is the only
peal, they questioned how opposition leader Nelson Mnangagwa's inaugura- Biti's arrest and the crack- language that this regime
an asylum case could be Chamisa had won, a claim tion planned for Sunday. down by the security ser- understands but these ac-
processed in mere hours. also made by Chamisa Biti was named along with vices "have exacerbated tions are killing any hopes
Biti's plight follows scenes himself. Chamisa in a search war- an already volatile situa- of re-engaging with the
of the military opening fire "In a normal country, rant issued last week that tion," said Piers Pigou, se- West."
in the streets of Zimbabwe's Chamisa would be sworn in said they and several oth- nior consultant for southern Biti had said months before
capital a week ago, killing right now," Biti told reporters ers were suspected of the Africa for the International the election that the Zim-
six people, and growing a day after the election. crimes of "possession of Crisis Group. "This raises fur- babwean military was cast-
opposition claims of ha- The Zimbabwe Electoral dangerous weapons" and ther concerns about the ing a shadow over hopes
rassment. The events have Commission has said it is "subversive material" as well direction the government for genuine reform.
challenged assertions by illegal to release results as "public violence," ac- is moving at a time it needs He said that while the oust-
newly elected President before its own official an- cording to a copy seen by to be providing leadership er of Mugabe after 37 years
Emmerson Mnangagwa of nouncement. The Associated Press. for all Zimbabweans." in power was welcome, the
a "flowering" of democracy Mnangagwa was more Police raided the MDC Chamisa on Wednesday military takeover that led to
after longtime leader Rob- restrained during the vote headquarters Aug. 2, a day night denounced the treat- his resignation set a dan-
ert Mugabe stepped down count, saying only that the after the military rolled into ment of Biti, calling the gerous precedent for the
in November under military situation looked positive. Harare and dispersed op- "persecution" of him and involvement of generals in
pressure. However, some reporting in position protesters by force, other opposition leaders by civilian affairs.
The MDC has denounced state-run media declared killing six people. They had the state "unjustified & un- "The genie is out of the bot-
Mnangagwa's July 30 elec- him the winner before the been angered over the an- acceptable." tle," Biti said in June.q