ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe's government yesterday withdrew its remaining treason case against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who last year was acquitted of separate charges of plotting to kill president Robert Mugabe.
"The state is withdrawing charges before plea," state lawyer Florence Ziyambi said at a hearing in Harare magistrate's court.
Ms Ziyambi did not give any reason for the decision to drop the case, which involved charges that Mr Tsvangirai sought to topple Mugabe's government through street protests in 2003.
Last October the High Court found Mr Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), not guilty of plotting to assassinate Mr Mugabe and seize power before the 2002 presidential elections the veteran leader won amid charges of vote rigging.
The state later applied to the Supreme Court to challenge the acquittal, but subsequently dropped the appeal. Conviction on a treason charge could have brought a death penalty.
Asked why he believed the government had dropped the second treason case, Mr Tsvangirai's lawyer Eric Matinenga told journalists outside the court: "Because he never committed a crime, and obviously someone has seen sense."
Mr Tsvangirai later said the charges against him were "a worthless attempt to divert attention from the issues confronting our nation"."It (the government) was just dragging so that they would tie me down to these treason charges and not focus on what the party should be doing," he told a news conference.
Mr Matinenga hinted the state could bring back the charges, but added: "I don't think anyone with sense would dare." Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party won two-thirds of the vote in parliamentary elections in March that both the MDC and several western powers said were rigged.
Mugabe has rejected the charges and says the MDC's poor showing reflected its waning popularity among the electorate.
Formed in 1999, the MDC enjoys support in urban areas where residents have borne the brunt of an economic crisis critics blame on mismanagement by Mugabe. The government in May launched a demolition campaign targeting urban shanty towns, drawing widespread condemnation.
Efforts to restart talks between the MDC and ZANU-PF have foundered.
Mugabe, who dismisses the MDC as a puppet of former colonial ruler Britain, says his party will only engage the opposition in parliament. "Given the dire consequences, political polarisation and humanitarian emergencies that confront us today . . . it is beyond parliament to tackle," Mr Tsvangirai said. "I have no personal problem in meeting president Mugabe." - (Reuters)