Zim bookseller arrested over PM's biography

A bookshop owner in the resort town of Victoria Falls has been arrested for selling Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's new autobiography, the premier's party said Saturday.

Police raided Rosepet Bookshop on Tuesday and confiscated 10 copies of the book, "At the Deep End", the Movement for Democratic Change said in a statement.

"At the police station, the police had planted some subversive material, red cards and small MDC flags inside all 10 books," the party said.

Red is the MDC's trademark colour, and red cards are used at rallies to call for the removal of long-ruling President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party.

"One of the subversive materials has a list of 11 ZANU-PF officials, including President Mugabe, which claims that they should be eliminated," the statement added.

Sinekiwe Matore, the shop's owner, was arrested, it said.

Police declined to comment on the case.

Tsvangirai and Mugabe formed a unity government nearly three years ago, following failed elections in 2008.

The country erupted in violence when Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential vote, with rights groups estimating that 200 of his supporters were killed. He pulled out of the run-off in hopes of stemming the violence.

Despite the unity government, Tsvangirai's supporters -- including top ministers -- are routinely arrested and attacked.

The unity government is meant to oversee the drafting of a new constitution that will lead to fresh elections, but the process is running nearly two years behind schedule.

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