ZIMBABWE:ZIMBABWE'S REGIME plans a renewed crackdown on opposition leaders, parliamentarians and activists in coming days, according to ruling party sources.
Despite increasing international pressure on president Robert Mugabe, the sources warned that political violence is likely to intensify.
Senior South African sources yesterday confirmed that the ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have resumed discussions about the possibility of sharing power.
The crackdown would be aimed at pressuring the opposition to accept a government of national unity led by Mr Mugabe, senior ruling party sources said. The sources asked to remain anonymous because of possible political or security repercussions.
The ruling Zanu-PF party wants to take the dominant role in a unity government with the MDC.
Mr Mugabe, clinging to power after 28 years in office and a presidential election rejected as undemocratic by African observers, has demanded that the opposition recognise him as the country's legitimate leader as a condition to talks.
But the opposition refuses to accept Mr Mugabe as head of any unity government or transitional arrangement and demands an additional mediator in negotiations now led by South African president Thabo Mbeki.
In the weeks before the recent presidential run-off election, the Zanu-PF party set up 900 command bases where opposition party members were taken and intimidated into voting for the ruling party. According to one base commander, the new crackdown will be launched from the bases, targeting key opposition members and their assistants.
Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's opposition leader, withdrew from the run-off because of the intensifying political violence, and last week refused to meet Mr Mugabe at his residence for fear of being seen as deferring to him and offering him legitimacy.
Mr Mbeki, appointed by the Southern African Development Community as a mediator between the ruling party and opposition, lost the confidence of the opposition after he said there was no crisis in Zimbabwe.
A senior ruling party source said Zanu-PF youth militias had been primed to attack opposition figures in coming days over the opposition's refusal so far to accept ruling party terms on a government of national unity.
Ruling party operatives "will spontaneously respond to force the MDC to withdraw some of their conditions for the talks ", he said.
"It will happen as if the top office doesn't know, but the word has been sent out that this is how they're expected to respond."
The opposition says 100 activists were killed in the violence that followed the first round presidential voting in March.
Hundreds are still missing, presumed dead or in jail. Zanu-PF officials believe a government of national unity would restore legitimacy and win investor confidence. The MDC, which won most parliamentary seats and believes it won the presidential vote, seeks a transitional arrangement leading to democratic elections.