Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is considering a national strike, a call for international sanctions and a boycott of the coming election to protest at the unrelenting state-sponsored violence against its members.
Reeling from the killing of 19 members since April 1st, the MDC will hold an emergency national council meeting on Saturday.
"Faced with this situation of lawlessness and murders against our members, the MDC must consider new strategies, including a possible boycott of the parliamentary elections, mass action and an appeal to the international community for more drastic action," said the MDC's president, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai.
A national strike is a very real option for the MDC, with the party drawing support from Zimbabwe's trade unions. Mr Tsvangirai, as the leader of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), called three successful general strikes in 1998 and 1999 that brought the country to a halt.
"What can Mugabe and ZanuPF do if we just stay at home?" Mr Tsvangirai responded when asked if a strike would provoke Mr Mugabe to further violence.
"Obviously our workers are pressing for mass action. There is no sense in pretending that things are normal."