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Zimbabwe's opposition leader has canceled his return to Harare from South Africa after receiving information from a "credible source" about what his party said was a planned assassination.But when contacted by CNN, a Cabinet member denied that the government had any possible role in the alleged plot, and said Saturday's report was an effort to gain international sympathy."We have received information from a credible source concerning a planned assassination attempt on President Tsvangirai today," George Sibotshiwe, a spokesman for his party, the Movement for Democratic Change, told The Associated Press."Because of that it has been decided that the president will not return today."An MDC statement released to CNN added: "We are not in a position to say whether this threat concerns actions of the state or a non-state actor."It should be noted that Mr. Tsvangirai is not the only person under threat at the moment. The entire leadership of the MDC, leaders of democratic forces within the country and every Zimbabwean is at risk from this brutal regime."In light of this information, and on the strong recommendation of Tsvangirai's security adviser, it has been decided that the president will not return to Zimbabwe today."This will enable his security detail more time to analyze and mitigate the risk."Chen Chimutengwende, Zimbabwe's minister of public and interactive affairs, accused Tsvangirai of "trying to paint a false picture of what Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe authorities are like. There is no plot against him and there has never been any plot against him and he knows that."He called the reports from Tsvangirai's party "an effort to get sympathy from the international community."Tsvangirai won more votes that President Robert Mugabe in the presidential election on March 29, but he did not garner enough votes to avoid a runoff, now set for June 27.The MDC contends Tsvangirai won the election with 50.3 percent of the vote, giving him the necessary majority. The party argued that the Electoral Commission, which delayed publicly releasing the results for weeks, had fudged the numbers to protect Mugabe.At a party meeting Friday, Mugabe said Zanu-PF must work hard to "repair the damage" suffered in the election."Most people stayed at home and that sleeping vote is what we must target and arouse. It is our vote. It is loyal to us...let us galvanize it for an emphatic victory," the state Herald newspaper quoted him as saying Saturday."We went to the election completely unprepared, unorganized...our structures went to sleep, we were in deep slumber in circumstances of all-out war. As leaders we all share the blame. We did not lead, we misled, we did not encourage, rather we discouraged, we did not unite, we divided ... Hence the dismal result we were landed with," Mugabe said.He said the opposition was backed by "a hostile axis of powerful foreign governments" and international businesses aiming to promote their interests in Zimbabwe."Our party must reclaim its glory so its leaders can hand over the revolution to new hands who must ensure continuity of the party," the Herald quoted him as saying.Meanwhile on Saturday, Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said no more international observers would be allowed for the runoff, the state Herald reported, dismissing calls for extra monitors, The Associated Press reported.Since the balloting, the MDC and church groups have reported kidnappings, torture and other violence, including the deaths of 25 opposition party members.They say the violence targets opponents of Mugabe, who has ruled the southern African country since it became independent 28 years ago.Amnesty International warned Thursday that the violence in Zimbabwe is reaching "crisis levels." The organization said large numbers of Zanu-PF supporters and war veterans are "assaulting perceived MDC supporters" in a district in Midlands province in central Zimbabwe and in another in a Mashonaland Central district, in the northern corner of the country.The war veterans were "recruiting local youths to attack" people thought to be MDC supporters, Amnesty International said. "Police appear to be unwilling to stop the violence," the organization said, and they were "only acting to arrest MDC supporters suspected of carrying out attacks on perceived Zanu-PF supporters."In addition to the 25 MDC supporters the opposition group says have been killed since the March election, church groups have reported the deaths of eight people at the hands of militias in an apparent crackdown on the opposition and its supporters.Amnesty International put the death toll slightly lower, saying at least 22 people had been killed since the election. More than 900 have been injured, the organization said.On Friday, Tsvangirai appeared confident that he would win the runoff."We will triumph over the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe," he promised, calling on African countries to assist Zimbabwe in achieving a smooth transition of power.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/17/zimbabwe/index.html
As in the days of Noah....
