Tsvangirai did not cancel ministers' meeting: Maridadi

HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai did not cancel but postpone the weekly council of ministers meeting Thursday, his spokesperson says.

Responding to media reports that Tsvangirai had reacted angrily to Roy Bennett's indictment and detention Wednesday, spokesperson James Maridadi said Tsvangirai had merely postponed the council of ministers meeting to allow him to attend another urgent meeting.

The MDC leadership met urgently Thursday to discuss the Bennett issue and further breaches to the Global Political Agreement by Zanu PF officials in the inclusive government.

"The Prime Minister did not cancel the council of ministers meeting - he merely postponed it. Prime Minister will not protest against himself - he is the head of government and will not protest against himself, I do not see that happening,' said Maridadi. "He had another pressing engagement that could not wait but the ministers council meeting could wait."

Maridadi, however, says Tsvangirai was anxious to meet Mugabe or Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa last night over the issue. He had also failed to meet Mugabe this morning over the issue. Tsvangirai was also snubbed by the Attorney General Johannes Tomana.

"The Prime Minister is concerned that he has not been ableto meet the President yesterday but what I can say is that this whole issue is not about Roy Bennett - even the Prime Minister is saying so - it is about the Global Political Agreement and respect for each other and what was agreed on. Just talking about Bennett is trivialising the issue though his case is in in the forefront."

Ironically, although Maridadi says Tsvangirai did not boycott the council of ministers meeting, his ministers maintain he cancelled in protest to Bennett's indictment and detention in Mutare.

While Tsvangirai was failing to secure an appointment with Mugabe over Bennett, his deputy Thokozani Khupe was sharing the platform with Mugabe and a women's investment conference in Harare. Tsvangirai also went to address the women's meeting.

"It only shows that all is not well in our party and we have to be very, very concerned," one lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity said. "How can you boycott your own meeting - remember the council of ministers is an MDC agenda because we pushed for it during the GPA negotiations - and then have deputy Prime Minister Khupe sharing the platform with Mugabe and the Prime Minister himself later goes to address the same meeting?"

MDC lawmakers are concerned also by the calling of an emergency national executive meeting to discuss the Bennett issue when eight other MDC MPs have in the past few months been arrested on trumped-up charges but no such urgent meeting was ever called.

"It is all so shocking," another MDC legislator said. "We already as a party have a national council resolution which is in the process of consultation - that is - do we remain in the inclusive government or not - so we are going back to the same debate! What is bothering most people is why such an urgent meeting has been called - is it simply because Roy Bennett is white? That is the same selective application of the law that we are fighting against Zanu PF - things like that should not happen."

Bennett stands trial on Monday. He's being implicated in an alleged plot to kill President Mugabe.

His lawyers said they are planning to appeal to the high court to have him released on bail once again.

The MDC on Wednesday accusing Mugabe's Zanu PF of being behind Bennett's indictment and detention.