Johannesburg — ZIMBABWE's main opposition leader remained in hospital yesterday with a suspected skull fracture, brain injuries and internal bleeding, doctors reported.

Lawyers and activists said Morgan Tsvangirai, president of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been subjected to a savage beating while in police custody.

This comes amid claims that a crack commando unit based at the army barracks in the capital, Harare, was responsible for torturing Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders on Sunday.

A policeman who witnessed the assault said Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders were tortured for close to two hours by "drugged soldiers disguised as police".

Those assaulted included Arthur Mutambara, who heads another faction of the MDC, the National Constitutional Alliance chairman, Lovemore Madhuku, MP Sekai Holland and Grace Kwinjeh, the MDC's assistant foreign affairs spokeswoman.

The Zimbabwean government's case against those arrested collapsed yesterday after the state failed to find legal grounds for charges.

MDC lawyers went to court yesterday morning, as agreed with court officials and police, but no charges were put forward and no prosecutors turned up.

MDC legal representatives now consider the case closed.

President Robert Mugabe's government was unapologetic yesterday, warning that the opposition would pay "a heavy price" for what it called a campaign of violence to oust it from power.

In an interview with ZimOnline on Tuesday, a police official, who cannot be named for security reasons, said: "I have been in the police force for three years, and I have been involved in the assault of suspects.

"But what I saw on Sunday was not assault, it was attempted murder, especially on Tsvangirai, Madhuku and Kwinjeh."

Tsvangirai passed out three times during the assault, he said.

Some policemen were unnerved by the seriousness and brutality of the assault. Tsvangirai's spokesman, William Bango, said yesterday that women dressed in police uniforms were "among the most vicious" of up to 100 people beating and torturing Tsvangirai and his colleagues.

Bango was also assaulted after his arrest in Harare on Sunday.

The police officer said: "Tsvangirai was the first to be attacked. His colleagues wept as their leader was beaten. Using sjamboks, army belts and gun butts, the soldiers attacked Tsvangirai until he passed out," he said.

"The soldiers then shifted attention to the remaining suspects, as one of the soldiers poured cold water over Tsvangirai to resuscitate him.

"When Tsvangirai regained consciousness, one of them shouted: 'Look their boss is ready for more action', and they all pounced on him again until he passed out for the second time. When he regained consciousness about 1.30am a female dressed in a police uniform flayed him with her belt.

"I thought he was dead but she appeared unmoved," the officer said.

Bango says he is sure the assault on Tsvangirai and the others was not carried out by regular policemen.

"They looked like Zanu (PF) militia. The women were the worst. After they had finished with Tsvangirai, they turned to Sekai Holland, who is about 70, and Grace Kwinjeh. With them they were particularly vicious. The female attackers took it in turns to jump on them. They smashed Sekai's ankles.

"They said she had an English surname and must be in love with Tony Blair. They kept asking her where the money was that she had been given by Blair," Bango said.

As images of a battered Tsvangirai appearing in court were beamed across the world, an international outcry grew.

The United Nations, the U.S. and the European Union have condemned the Zanu (PF) government's actions.

Commonwealth secretary-general Don McKinnon said yesterday it was "utterly unacceptable" that Zimbabwe's opposition leader had been badly beaten while in police custody.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for an inquiry.

Mostly silent, however, were Africa's leaders. SA said there was little to be gained from condemning Harare.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Aziz Pahad said on Tuesday SA was concerned about the declining political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

Only Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa spoke out against the attacks. He also warned Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders of the economic consequences.

The chairman of the African Union, Ghana's President John Kufuor, defended the organisation's response. Kufuor was speaking after his speech at the London international affairs think-tank, Chatham House, was disrupted by four demonstrators who denounced the AU's failure to condemn Mugabe outright.

"Please don't think Africa is not concerned," he said. Zimbabwe was "an embarrassment", but the AU had not exhausted all diplomatic options, he said.

The African National Congress (ANC) and General Council of the Bar expressed concern yesterday.

"The ANC is concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe and the reports of the alleged assault of opposition leaders in police custody," party spokesman Smuts Ngonyama said in a statement.

The Democratic Alliance and the Helen Suzman Foundation said government's response was shameful.

With Sapa-AFP, Reuters