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Zimbabwe MDC man misses swear-in | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
The swearing in of junior ministers in Zimbabwe has gone ahead without the MDC's Roy Bennett, who is in custody. | |
The former farmer is the Movement for Democratic Change nominee for deputy agricultural minister in a unity government with the Zanu-PF party. | |
His name was on a list of ministers earlier "advised" on state radio to report for the ceremony at State House. | |
On Wednesday, a magistrate ruled there was enough evidence for him to face charges, including terrorism. | |
Mr Bennett - accused of illegal arms possession and terrorism - was remanded in custody until 4 March. | |
The charges against him have changed several times since his arrest last Friday. | |
The MDC has dismissed them as trumped up and wants him released, along with more than 30 other MDC supporters and activists who have been detained in recent months. | |
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai himself joined the unity government as prime minister last week. | MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai himself joined the unity government as prime minister last week. |
Pressure | |
Correspondents say the detention of Mr Bennett and the other opposition activists has raised pressure on Mr Tsvangirai to show his decision to take office was not mistaken. | |
The MDC's appointed Finance Minister, Tendai Biti, announced measures on Wednesday to tackle the crippled economy. | |
Some 130,000 government employees are to receive a monthly salary of $100 (£70) tax free, paid in US dollars. | |
He said soldiers and teachers have already been paid this week - and other civil servants will get their wages on Thursday. | |
The country has the world's highest official inflation rate - estimated by some economists at 10 sextillion percent - which has left Zimbabwe's local currency almost worthless. | |
Mr Bennett, who lost his property under Mr Mugabe's land reform programme, spent eight months in prison in 2004-05 for pushing a minister during an argument in parliament over transfers of land. | |
He recently returned to Zimbabwe after more than two years in South Africa, where he had fled after being accused in connection with an alleged plot to kill Mr Mugabe. |