Morgan Tsvangirai

© MDC

afrol News, 4 June - The leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, has been detained by police while on his campaign trail in western Zimbabwean village of Lupane.

MDC officials said Mr Tsvangirai was arrested on Wednesday and still remains in police custody.

No immediate reasons were advanced for the police action.

Shortly before he had returned to Zimbabwe to face President Robert Mugabe for a second round vote, MDC leadership alerted an assassination plots on Mr Tsvangirai's life.

After spending three weeks out of the country, lobbying support from regional leaders, Tsvangirai returned home barely 10 days ago, amid reported claims of continued harassment by state security agents.

Being banned from campaigning in most of his party's key strongholds, including the western provinces of Matabeleland Tsvangirai's hopes to defeat Mr Mugabe on

27 June remains high. His party has already won majority of the parliamentary seats on 29 March harmonized elections.

MDC said more than 50 of its supporters were murdered while thousands endured horrendous tortures.

President Mugabe, 84, has been ruling Zimbabwe since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980. Currently attending the FAO food crisis conference in Rome, Zimbabwean leader's presence was described as "obscure" by Australia's Foreign Minister. But Mugabe fired arsenals at western leaders, blaming them responsible for his country's food and economic crisis.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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