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Zimbabwe: British Pilot Nabbed While Doing MDC Work
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
26 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Harare
Police yesterday arrested a British pilot after landing at Charles Prince Airport in Harare while doing work for the MDC Tsvangirai faction.
Chief police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena last night said he would issue a statement today over the arrest of South Africa-based pilot Brent Smythe and the subsequent impounding of the helicopter he was flying.
Britain has on several occasions openly admitted to funding the MDC, first at its formation through the Westminster Foundation and recently through the Law Society of Zimbabwe and civic organisations.
MDC faction leader Morgan Tsvangirai recently wrote on the website of the Wall Street Journal that his party would return to white farmers land allocated to black Zimbabweans under Government's land reforms.
He described the land acquisition and resettlement programme as illegal, which analysts said was meant to please his party's Western backers.
"It is interesting that soon after Tsvangirai's article in the Wall Street Journal, a helicopter flown by a British is sent to prop up his campaign," an analyst said last night.
South African media reports, quoting Smythe's employer, said he was arrested shortly before he was due to transport Tsvangirai on his campaign trail ahead of elections on Saturday.
However, a Reuters report said Smythe was delivering campaign material for the MDC when he was arrested at the Charles Prince with two other MDC officials - Jameson Timba and Garikai Chuma.
Sapa news agency, quoting Wessel van den Bergh, chief executive officer of ATS Aviation Services, said Smythe was being detained at Harare Central Police Station.
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Van den Bergh said Smythe was due to fly Tsvangirai to various constituencies over the next two days and was expecting to take off at 7am yesterday.
Smythe's family were informed of the situation and the company had been informed that he was unharmed.
The helicopter was by last night still at Charles Prince Airport. - Herald Reporter/Sapa.
I am extremely confused as to exactly when it became illegal to do "work for the MDC Tsvangirai faction"???
I am extremely confused as to why anyone could still be confused about the whimsical actions of the Mugabe regime...
Realist or is it Realfool! I am on the outside (New Zealand) looking in and really! You guys have tried everything in and out of the book to demonise Mugabe and failed. For the past seven years there has been no food,no fuel,no jobs and so many other problems in Zimbabwe i have to wonder how on earth have the people survived? Zimbabwean's must be super human. Having said that,if the country can go through all that then they don't need to be told they failed. You need to pull your big head in Zimbabwe will NEVER DIE!
True to that my brother, I have seen cars running around Harare, so I don't get, it must not be about demonising the country but telling the truth. Yes things are in adequate but u can find them, lets not lie, I enjoy the news from Zimbabwe Guardian because they tell the truth. Please do not demonise Zim, it is not as u say it is. God will judge u for this
The circus on Zimbabwe goes on - More words, and more voluminous cries about Zimbabwe. But, Zimbabwe is still alive, what a great country!! Viva Zimbabwe, Viva the couragous people of Zimbabwe. You have defied the imperialist British gov't. You have done the undoable - You extradited Mann a Briton, setting the stage for Africans to be of good courage, when faced with a bully like the UK. Ahaaa...finally anglo whites of British stork can be extradiated by a black state. Zimbabwe stand together against the tyranny of the UK and it's foolish citizens. Vava Zimbabwe
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