Three accused of political murder

Seven Zimbabwean opposition supporters have appeared in court on murder and assault charges after the killing of a man said to be a member of the ruling ZANU-PF ahead of a politically charged by-election in Bikita West. A magistrate at Bikita on Friday denied bail to the seven, three of whom are accused of murder, saying that to do so would send the “wrong signals to those who may want to take part in political violence”, the official ‘Herald’ newspaper reported on Saturday.

They were remanded in custody until after the election, due to be held next weekend in the rural constituency some 350 km south of Harare. Zimbabwean police had by Friday arrested 97 members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the wake of violence, AFP reported.
Despite the arrests, the MDC said it was sending reinforcements to Bikita to help “defend” its members in an election that is regarded as an important barometer for the presidential poll in 2002.

More than 43 cases of political violence have been reported in the constituency since mid-December when campaigning for the seat, narrowly won by the MDC in June, gained momentum. Out of the 40,000 registered voters only 14,000 voted in the June general elections and, according to the ‘Herald’, the candidate who can get voters out to the polling stations is likely to win.