The Zimbabwean government is seeking leave to appeal the acquittal of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of treason, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
In October, the Harare High Court acquitted Tsvangirai of plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe and stage a coup, saying there was insufficient evidence against him.
Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), denied the charges and claimed he was framed by the Zimbabwean government to discredit him ahead of 2002 presidential elections, which Tsvangirai lost to Mugabe.
The state-owned Herald newspaper reported that the state had filed court papers on Monday requesting leave to appeal the acquittal. The government argues that Tsvangirai’s acquittal was wrong and that the state faces a good chance of getting a conviction on appeal.
”The [state] wishes to apply for leave to appeal against the decision of the High Court, sitting at Harare on 15 October 2004, wherein it found the respondent [Tsvangirai] not guilty and acquitted him of the charge of treason,” the newspaper quoted from the court papers.
”It is respectfully submitted that there are reasonable prospects of success on appeal,” it added.
It was not clear when the appeal will be heard.
Tsvangirai’s acquittal came more than a year after the start of the high-profile trial in February 2003, in which Tsvangirai was accused of trying to enlist Canada-based political consultant Ben Menashe to assassinate Mugabe and organise the alleged coup.
Tsvangirai is currently on a whirlwind tour of Europe, after visiting several African countries to enlist worldwide support for his party’s efforts to pressure Mugabe to effect electoral reforms ahead of general elections due next March.
The MDC has vowed to boycott the polls unless reforms are undertaken. – Sapa-AFP