MDC-T, Police square off

In a tense standoff spawned by the much-condemned abduction of pro-democracy activist Itai Dzamara on Monday, as well as ensuing sympathy demonstrations by angry youths in central Harare on Wednesday, heavily-armed anti-riot police continue to cordon off opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC headquarters in the capital.

The savage siege, which MDC-T spokesperson described yesterday as "a throwback to the terrible years on repression", has heightened fears that a major crackdown against political opponents of President Robert Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF is in the offing.

This comes after dozens of party workers at Harvest House were viciously assaulted on Wednesday night by police who stormed the building soon after the Dzamara sympathy demonstration.

The police were bizarrely demanding that a helmet and baton stick which were allegedly stolen by the demonstrators be returned back by the party, notwithstanding which there would be "blood on the shop floor"- even as MDC-T officials professed ignorance about the stolen items.

The MDC-T spokesperson said the siege was a clear sign that the Mugabe government is in panic mode, and this siege was aimed at intimidating and harassing the MDC-T.