HARARE—Zimbabwe's government has ordered CARE International to suspend its operations in the southern African nation after accusing it of political interference, a spokesman for the aid group said on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe is preparing to hold a presidential run-off between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who won the March 29 poll but without the majority needed to avoid a second ballot. The run-off is scheduled for June 27.
CARE, which employs some 300 people in the economically devastated nation, denied that its staff had been engaged in any political activity, including supporting Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change.
"CARE has strict policies against political involvement and categorically denies the organisation has encouraged or tolerated any political activity," Ken Walker, the group's Africa communications manager, said, confirming the suspension.
Walker said the group had planned to begin a food programme in Zimbabwe, which is suffering chronic food shortages in the wake of the collapse of its once prosperous agricultural sector. He said it had requested further details on the suspension.
Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche refused to confirm or deny that CARE had been forced to stop its activities. He also would not comment on reports other relief groups had also been ordered to stop their work in the country.
Mutambara Freed
There are signs that Mugabe's government is clamping down on his perceived enemies ahead of the run-off.
Three South African drivers for Sky News were ordered jailed for six months on Monday after they were caught with unregistered broadcasting equipment after the elections in March, a state-run newspaper reported.
The trio pled guilty last week to violating part of Zimbabwe's tough media laws, which critics say are aimed at stifling dissent against Mugabe, who is notoriously hostile to foreign media, especially from former colonial ruler Britain.
Earlier on Tuesday the leader of the smaller faction of the MDC, Arthur Mutambara, was released on bail after his arrest for publishing an article critical of Mugabe.
A court in the capital Harare ordered Mutambara freed on bail of 20 billion Zimbabwean dollars ($28) after he appeared to face charges of contempt of court and communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the state.
Mutambara was ordered to appear in court on June 17. He also cannot leave the nation until the case is resolved.
"What has happened is nothing compared to what the people of Zimbabwe are experiencing. Mugabe is violating the human rights of our people," a defiant Mutambara said after his release, accusing the government of a crackdown on opposition supporters.
Mutambara made a similar accusation in an article published on April 20 in the Standard, a privately owned weekly newspaper. He criticised Mugabe's handling of the March 29 elections and questioned his government's right to stay in office.
He was arrested on Sunday.
Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF lost control of parliament in the election for the first time since he led it to power in 1980. Tsvangirai's MDC faction won the most seats, with Mutambara's MDC winning a smaller number.
The two MDC factions split in 2005 but recently agreed to combine forces and work together to unseat Mugabe's government.
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