Tsvangirai Vows to Return to Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, today said he would return home this weekend despite alleged assassination threats from the Mugabe regime.

"I am going home ... [on] Saturday," he told Zimbabweans seeking protection at a Johannesburg police station after vicious anti-foreigner attacks in South Africa.

Tsvangirai had postponed his return to Zimbabwe for the presidential run-off after his Movement for Democratic Change accused the Joint Operational Command, President Robert Mugabe's security cabinet, of plotting to kill him.

Bright Matonga, the Zimbabwean deputy information minister, accused the MDC of fantasizing and said the party was playing to the international media gallery.

Tsvangirai has spent much of the time since the disputed March 29 elections touring southern Africa and Europe in an attempt to drum up support against Mugabe, although his prolonged absence has worried MDC supporters.

After months of prevarication, the Zimbabwean government has named June 27 as the run-off date.

The MDC had at first said it would not contest a second round, claiming Tsvangirai had won 50.3% of the votes cast in March, giving him a narrow outright victory.

Faced with the prospect of Mugabe walking away with an unchallenged win, Tsvangirai has been forced to change tack.

However, he has called for the presence of international observers to ensure a free and fair election.

Opposition politicians and human rights groups have accused the ruling Zanu-PF party of pursuing a campaign of intimidation, beating and threatening opposition supporters prior to the vote.

Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe's crisis had spilled over into South Africa. "I am hoping that we are able to solve our crisis back home," he added.

The economic and political meltdown in Zimbabwe has forced more millions to flee to South Africa.

Resentment that foreigners are competing for scarce jobs and houses has led to a wave of attacks against them over the past 10 days.