Mugabe seizes passports from opposition activists

Mugabe is stepping up his policy of abducting and beating up members of his opposition and has now started confiscating their passports as a way of ensuring that they don't travel abroad and highlight the problems within Zimbabwe.

William Bango, a spokesman for Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said: "At least five opposition officials have been picked up for torture from the townships by the police every night before they are returned to their homes. The strategy is to try to ensure that the opposition is destroyed as these officials would be too scared to participate in our activities in future." Passports of MDC faction leader Arthur Mutambara and senior party officials Grace Kwinje and Sekai Holland had been seized. The latest accusations of brutality came as Western powers sought to persuade Africa to confront President Robert Mugabe. Tony Blair said Mr Mugabe's regime was "appalling, disgraceful and utterly tragic for the people of Zimbabwe" and damaging the region's reputation.

"Let's be very clear: the solution to Zimbabwe ultimately will not come simply through the pressure applied by Britain. That pressure has got to be applied within Africa, in particular within the African Union," he told Parliament.

Few African governments have joined the criticism of Mugabe, although leaders meet in Tanzania next week to discuss Zimbabwe. The Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said the region would have to get involved. "Quiet diplomacy has failed to help solve the political chaos and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe," he said.

Quiet diplomacy has, indeed, failed; despite Mbeki's support for it. Although it's hard to believe that the President of South Africa - of all the places on the planet - could seriously believe that such a thing could work. After all, black South Africans lived for years under an Apartheid system that Reagan and Thatcher claimed to be hoping to influence through "quiet diplomacy". As it didn't work then, it's simply bizarre to imagine that it would be successful decades later.

Although Mugabe now seems to be learning the language of George Bush - oh, the people who influence dictators! - by summoning judicial officials to a seminar on - wait for it - terrorism!

Yes, from now on all opposition figures will be viewed as potential "terrorists".

Sources revealed that the seminar was being attended by senior magistrates whom Mr Mugabe wanted to mete out "heavy punishment" to opposition officials accused of terrorist activities.

Mr Mugabe's spokesman, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, dismissed the opposition MDC as a "terrorist organisation" and said the government was justified in implementing any measures geared towards countering it.

There is no indication, as yet, that Mugabe intends to suspend Habeas Corpus and send all members of the MDC to a Zimbabwean version of Guantanamo Bay.

But, given enough time, there is no knowing what Mugabe will attempt. However, for the moment, he is resisting following all of Bush's examples. After all, this is Zimbabwe. They do have some standards.

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Tags: Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Mbeki, Tsvangirai, terrorism