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| Mugabe vows to fight 'traitors' | Mugabe vows to fight 'traitors' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| President Robert Mugabe has vowed that the main opposition party will never lead Zimbabwe and said he was prepared to "go to war" for his country. | President Robert Mugabe has vowed that the main opposition party will never lead Zimbabwe and said he was prepared to "go to war" for his country. |
| He is due to face Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, in a 27 June run-off poll. | He is due to face Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, in a 27 June run-off poll. |
| Mr Tsvangirai was released after being arrested for the fifth time this week. | |
| Meanwhile, deputy MDC leader Tendai Biti appeared in court in Harare, where a judge is to rule on the legality of his arrest on treason charges. | Meanwhile, deputy MDC leader Tendai Biti appeared in court in Harare, where a judge is to rule on the legality of his arrest on treason charges. |
| Mr Tsvangirai has been detained several times on the campaign trail. | Mr Tsvangirai has been detained several times on the campaign trail. |
| On Saturday, he was stopped with 11 members of his party at a roadblock, the MDC said, and held at a police station for three hours. | |
| The MDC issued a statement saying that it was now clearly impossible to talk about free and fair elections. | |
| Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe in the first round of voting in the presidential election in March, but not enough for an outright victory. | |
| Formal protest | Formal protest |
| Speaking at the burial of a former independence fighter, Mr Mugabe said he would never accept the MDC taking over the government of Zimbabwe. | Speaking at the burial of a former independence fighter, Mr Mugabe said he would never accept the MDC taking over the government of Zimbabwe. |
| Robert Mugabe vows to fight anyone who 'undermines' his party | |
| He described the opposition as "traitors" and referred to Zimbabwe's past struggle for independence from its colonial ruler, Britain, saying the country should not be "lost" again. | He described the opposition as "traitors" and referred to Zimbabwe's past struggle for independence from its colonial ruler, Britain, saying the country should not be "lost" again. |
| "It shall never happen... as long as I am alive and those who fought for the country are alive," he is quoted by AFP as saying. | "It shall never happen... as long as I am alive and those who fought for the country are alive," he is quoted by AFP as saying. |
| "We are prepared to fight for our country and to go to war for it." | "We are prepared to fight for our country and to go to war for it." |
| The Zimbabwean government faces growing pressure from regional leaders over the harassment of opposition leaders two weeks before the presidential run-off election. | The Zimbabwean government faces growing pressure from regional leaders over the harassment of opposition leaders two weeks before the presidential run-off election. |
| On Friday, Botswana lodged a formal protest over the current actions of the Zimbabwean authorities. | On Friday, Botswana lodged a formal protest over the current actions of the Zimbabwean authorities. |
| Political violence | Political violence |
| Mr Biti was arrested on what police said were treason charges when he returned from neighbouring South Africa on Thursday. The charges carry a possible death sentence. | Mr Biti was arrested on what police said were treason charges when he returned from neighbouring South Africa on Thursday. The charges carry a possible death sentence. |
| Tendai Biti was arrested on his return to Zimbabwe from South Africa | Tendai Biti was arrested on his return to Zimbabwe from South Africa |
| He has not yet been formally charged but that is expected to take place on Monday, says the BBC's Peter Greste in Johannesburg. | |
| It took an order from the High Court for police to present Mr Biti - who had been taken to an undisclosed location - to the court and give him access to lawyers, our correspondent adds. | |
| At the time of his arrest, national police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said Mr Biti would be charged with treason "for publishing a document that was explaining a transitional strategy around March 26". | At the time of his arrest, national police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said Mr Biti would be charged with treason "for publishing a document that was explaining a transitional strategy around March 26". |
| He said he would also be charged for proclaiming victory in the 29 March elections before official results were published. | He said he would also be charged for proclaiming victory in the 29 March elections before official results were published. |
| The US ambassador to Zimbabwe said the US was very concerned about the treason charge and did not consider it justified. | The US ambassador to Zimbabwe said the US was very concerned about the treason charge and did not consider it justified. |
| Mr Tsvangirai says more than 60 opposition supporters have been killed in political violence since the March elections and 200 more are unaccounted for. | |
| Mr Mugabe's supporters say the scale of the violence has been exaggerated and blame the MDC for some attacks. | Mr Mugabe's supporters say the scale of the violence has been exaggerated and blame the MDC for some attacks. |
| But human rights groups accuse the ruling party of being behind most of the violence. | But human rights groups accuse the ruling party of being behind most of the violence. |