More arrests in Zim as Tsvangirai prepares return : Mail & Guardian Online

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government intensified a crackdown against its political opponents on Monday, as the leader of the opposition prepared to return home to contest a run-off election.

Journalists, union leaders and hundreds of political activists have been arrested since general elections in March that were lost by the ruling party, but Monday brought news of the first lawmaker to be taken into police custody.

Heya Shoko, a Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) parliamentarian who won a seat in the Masvingo province formerly held by Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, was arrested in connection with post-election violence in his constituency, a colleague said.

"I was with him in town when three detectives ... took him away saying it was in connection with some incidents in his constituency," fellow MDC lawmaker Ernest Mudavanhu said by phone from Masvingo, south-east Zimbabwe.

News of the arrest came as the president and secretary general of the country's main labour organisation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), were denied bail as they made a first court appearance on charges of incitement to rebellion in connection with speeches delivered at a May Day rally.

Also, I've on and off reported about my contact who went back into Zim a few weeks ago for the purpose of arranging the paperwork for him and his two children and to get them into SA legally ASAP. He was supposed to travel to Joburg past week - but was refused to exit Zimbabwe at the (Zimbabwean) border. He was told his children could go on alone. They returned, he re-applied today and was officially denied border movement now. He now is going to take the dangerous route and will have to attempt bribery - he does not want to be locked in Zimbabwe. It suggests that a (targeted?) border lock-down may be in place.

Furthermore, there are rumours that Mugabe has called to kick out the illegal Zimbabweans out of South Africa and back to Zim. Whether true or not, these rumours have resulted in riots in Alexandra township - where I do my volunteering work on Saturday. Two people are reportedly killed. The Children of Fire NGO has been asked (by the governmental department!!!) to supply aid and food for the immigrants who have been kicked on the street. The volunteers couldn't go in tonight - it was to dangerous without a police escort, and they didn't get one.

It's getting scary.