Mugabe: Opposition Will Never Rule, Even If It Wins

As an opposition leader arrested on charges of treason appeared in court in Zimbabwe today, President Robert Mugabe was declaring that his competitors in the Movement for Democratic Change would never be allowed to rule the country, even if they win the upcoming runoff presidential election, the Independent reports. "We will return to the bush to fight," he told a crowd of youth members of his party. "We can't allow the British to dominate us through their puppets."

In another sign of escalating crisis, the MDC, which says more than 60 supporters have been murdered since the first round of the election, has begun fighting back. After ruling Zanu-PF party members “razed” an MDC candidate’s house, “villagers mobilized themselves and retaliated,” said one opposition official; another said his party would destroy 10 homes for every one razed by Zanu-PF members. (More Robert Mugabe stories.)