Tsvangirai postpones Zimbabwe return after threat

It was unclear when Morgan Tsvangirai would return to rally his party and campaign for the presidency against longtime leader Robert Mugabe.

The opposition and most observers say mounting violence and intimidation, mainly targeting opposition supporters, make it virtually impossible for a planned June 27 presidential runoff to be credible.

"We have received information from a credible source concerning a planned assassination attempt on President Tsvangirai today," spokesman George Sibotshiwe told The Associated Press. "Because of that it has been decided that the president will not return today."

Sibotshiwe said the information came as Tsvangirai drove from his home to his office in Johannesburg, and his next stop would have been the airport. He consulted with his own security and other party officials before deciding, reluctantly, not to go home.

Sibotshiwe would not identify the source other than to say he or she was in a position to know of the plot, which he said was striking in its detail. Sibotshiwe also refused to say whether Zimbabwean government officials were implicated in the plot, but he said the government had refused to address threats to Tsvangirai.

He said the opposition was working with regional leaders instead of the government to organize body guards and safe vehicles in Zimbabwe for its leader.

"It's almost impossible to work with the Zimbabwean government," Sibotshiwe said.

Repeated attempts Saturday to reach Zimbabwean police for comment were unsuccessful.

Tsvangirai had planned to address a party caucus in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, on Saturday and a rally in Bulawayo on Sunday. Other party officials would lead those events, Sibotshiwe said.