Harare, June 10: Zimbabwe's Attorney-General today dropped treason charges against Welshman Ncube, secretary-general of the main opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), his lawyer said. "The state appears to have withdrawn charges against Welshman Ncube," Innocent Chagonda said. "I have just been informed by the Attorney-General's office that he has been released."

Chagonda said he did not know why charges had been dropped against Ncube, who was arrested yesterday and charged with urging MDC supporters to rise up against the government after the opposition party called for a week of protests against President Robert Mugabe's regime.

Bureau Report