Biti

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP):

Robert Mugabe's regime struck at the opposition leadership only two weeks before the runoff presidential election, twice detaining the challenger yesterday and jailing the No. 2 opposition official to prepare a treason case.

Also yesterday, the U.S. ambassador said 20 tons of US food aid was seized and passed out to Mugabe supporters at a rally.

Detained at a roadblock

Meanwhile, Morgan Tsvangirai who faces long-time, increasingly autocratic leader Robert Mugabe in a June 27 presidential runoff, was detained at a roadblock in southern Zimbabwe and taken to a police station for about two hours, the party said. He resumed campaigning after the brief detention, only to be detained again later by another group of local police, officials said. Such detentions have generally been brief.

Tendai Biti, secretary-general of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party, also will be charged with making false statements "prejudicial to the state", police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said.

The treason charge relates to what Bvudzijena described as a transition document discussing changing Zimbabwe's government.

The second charge refers to accusations that Biti announced election results before the official count was released. Under Zimbabwean law, only the electoral commission can announce results.

To be charged

Bvudzijena said Biti was in police custody but would not say where. He said Biti would be charged "as soon as we are through with our investigation", but would not be more specific.

In a statement, his party called on the police "to immediately reveal Mr Biti's location and release him unharmed immediately".

It added it was "extremely concerned about the welfare of the secretary general given the flagrant disregard for the rule of law and ongoing, state-sanctioned political violence and abductions currently prevalent in Zimbabwe".