Morgan Tsvangirai

Tsvangirai, who could have been sentenced to death if convicted by the High Court of plotting to kill Mugabe, faces another treason charge next month, related to his role in organizing national demonstrations last year.

In the weeks before the 2002 election, Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change, was accused of hiring a Canada-based political consultant, Ari Ben-Menashe, to kill Mugabe and stage a coup.

The main prosecution evidence consisted of recordings of a 2001 meeting between the two in which Tsvangirai referred to Mugabe's "elimination" -- a reference, the defense argued, to hopes the president might be persuaded to retire before the 2002 election.

Judge Paddington Garwe said that the prosecution had failed to prove a conspiracy to assassinate Mugabe.

"There is no evidence on the videotape or the audiotape that can be relied on," he said, concluding no request for an assassination was made.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 23, 2004
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