Ruth Weiss: Zimbabwe before the elections (17b)

The arrest of four MDC officials and subsequent arrest of eminent lawyer Beatrice Mtwetwa is closely linked with the imbroglio of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), according to South Africa's Mail and Guardian. The MDC staff are said to have helped the ZACC to compile dockets against some of President Robert Mugabe's top associates. Zanu-PF was so upset by ZACC's probe, that they mobilised intelligence, police officers to stop the investigation of powerful Zanu-PF men.

The issues involved include the following allegations:

Attorney General Johannes Tomana's alleged abuse of office in halting investigations into constituency development abuses.

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri's selectrive application of the law and targeting of political opponents. The dockets are said to include incriminating correspondence;

Local Government Minister Ignatious Chomo's purchases of suburban properties under unclear conditions;

Transport Minister Nicholas Goche's awarding Motify Investment contracts without going to tender;

Minister of Mines Obert Mpofu, Indigenisation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Goodwills Masimirembwa, chair of the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation handling of indigenisation deals;

The ZACC probe came to a head when 20 ZACC investigators tried to enter the offices of Ministers Mpofu, Kasukuwere and Goche to investigate alleged kickbacks. A registrar of the high court, Elijah Makomo, was fired last week for allegedly facilitating the signing of a search warrant that led to the attempted storming of three government premises in search of crucial documents, that could have implicated those involved in the kickback scandal. ZACC was stopped from its operation by a High Court interdict. Investigators were told that their probe amounted to "an attempted coup" and were placed under pressure to delay any probe until after the election.

Investigators told the paper that there were few `clean' individuals across the political divide.

Following the arrests and remand to April 3, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai met Vice President Joice Mujuru. She was shocked by the event but too weak to act in Mugabe's absence in Rome. The team representing Beatrice Mtetwa made an urgent appeal to the High Court for her immediate release. (Mail and Guardian 22.3) The event caused worldwide protest. Mtetwa was finally released on the 25th March after more than a week's incarceration. (News24 25.3)