This Day in History: 15 October 2004
The Zimbabwean opposition leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, was charged with treason for allegedly plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Charges against Tsvangirai were brought two weeks before the country's 2002 elections, which he narrowly lost to Mugabe. Harare High Court Judge, Paddington Garwe, cleared Tsvangirai of the charges after the state failed to proof that Tsvingarai indeed had plotted to kill the president with the help of Canadian-based political consultant Ari Ben-Menashe. After the verdict his supporters cheered and danced outside the court, though he was still faced with another treason charge for allegedly calling for a violent removal of Mugabe.