Tsvangirai held as aid work banned

Conditions continue to deteriorate in Zimbabwe, with the opposition leader held by police and charity work banned by the government.

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change party, was held at a police station in Esigodini for around two hours after being prevented from attending a campaign rally in Umzingwane for the June 27 presidential run-off.

He was later released but MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said: "The (MDC) president has just been released but instructed to go back to Bulawayo, instead of proceeding with the campaign. The police say the instruction came from the top."

Meanwhile, Nicholas Goche, the country's social welfare minister, has stopped the work of aid agencies in the politically-ravaged nation, accusing them of violating the terms of their agreement with his government.

UK charities Christian Aid and Save the Children say they fear millions of ordinary people will suffer further with 10 million of Zimbabwe's 13 million population currently living below the poverty line and 4 million of them relying on food aid.

Judith Melby, Africa specialist for Christian Aid, said the move is "of deep concern" to all development charities. She said: "You have to be very clear what we mean by field work.

"Clearly most NGOs work in the cities, but we also work in the countryside, and that is considered field work. It is certainly going to have an extremely detrimental effect - it is quite frightening, frankly."

And Save the Children spokesman Dominic Nutt said: "Save the Children is seriously concerned about the consequences relating to reports of the suspension of aid operations in Zimbabwe, particularly for the most vulnerable children who we work with and who need our help."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown described the plight of the country as a "tragedy", saying: "We utterly condemn the behaviour of the Zimbabwe regime."

The spokesman added: "Obviously it is a tragedy that a country that could feed its people and export the excess is dependent on food aid in this way and has taken steps to remove access to food aid to its citizens."

Mr Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in a March 29 election but failed to win the majority needed to avoid a second ballot, according to official results. Earlier this week he was held and questioned by police for eight hours.

On Friday he was also stopped from reaching a rally outside Zimbabwe's second largest city, Bulawayo, after police put up a roadblock. His party accuses Mr Mugabe of trying to sabotage his campaign.

The official ban on all aid agency field work was announced just hours after UK and US diplomats were detained at a roadblock and a local driver was beaten up by an "armed mob" of troops and "war veterans" loyal to Mr Mugabe. The group of four Britons and five Americans was eventually released unharmed.

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