Zimbabwe -Roy Bennett

Zimbabwe PM cancels meeting after aide detained

Article published on the 2009-10-15 Latest update 2009-10-15 17:41 TU

Zimbabwe PM Morgan Tsvangirai goes to parliament earlier this month
(Credit: Reuters)

Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai canceled a ministerial meeting on Thursday after deputy agricultural minister-designate Roy Bennett was detained ahead of his trial on terrorism charges. Bennett was sent back to jail on Wednesday and will go to trial on Monday. Bennett is a member of Movement for Democratic Change, the rival to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's party Zanu-PF.

The meeting cancellation was linked to the unity pact, a party member told French wire service AFP, but no details were divulged.

The pact "is limping along and there is a real danger that the whole thing could collapse," said Botswana President Ian Khama, one of Mugabe's few critics on the continent.

Bennett is the MDC treasurer, and was accused of possessing arms for purposes of terrorism, banditry, and to incite acts of insurgency. He had been free on bail since March.

The MDC issued a statement on the Bennett case, saying the trumped-up charges "poison the letter and spirit of the inclusive government."

Bennett's new detention casts a shadow over hopes that the coalition government would cast rival party issues aside and work together. Bennett was arrested the day the unity government was sworn in.

"Progress, of course, on the political front as we see from the current developments relating to Mr Bennett has been far more limited" than recent improvements in the economy, said British Ambassador Mark Canning.

"The charges are flimsy," says correspondent Ryan Truscott in Zimbabwe. "The charges stem back to 2006 when a bunch of MDC officials were arrested, but then were acquitted of wrongdoing," he adds.