Zimbabwe intelligence confiscates Tsvangirai's passport at airport because he was 'on the list'

'Operatives from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) seized the MDC leadership's passports and briefly detained them, saying their names were 'on the list',' said a spokesperson from Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change.

'They did not reveal what so-called list was about.'

Zimbabwe's political crisis was expected to be the top issue at the SADC regional summit Tsvangirai was due to attend.

The confiscations came shortly after Tsvangirai told reporters at Harare International Airport he expected talks on power-sharing with President Robert Mugabe's government would resume.

'We can't travel without passports. There's no point. In any case the plane has left and Tsvangirai has already gone back. He has no patience for this,' Movement for Democratic Change Secretary-General Tendai Biti said.

The MDC said Tsvangirai was due to travel to South Africa to attend a summit of regional grouping SADC after power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe stalled this week.

He told reporters that power-sharing negotiations cannot be judged on a deadlock over one issue, adding that there will always be people to break that deadlock.

Asked by reporters if he was still optimistic on a deal, Tsvangirai said: 'Oh, yes, of course, we got our independence after how many talks? Hundreds and tens of meetings had been held.'

Talks on power-sharing began last month after Mugabe's unopposed re-election in a June vote that was condemned around the world and boycotted by Tsvangirai because of attacks on his supporters. But three days of meetings in Harare failed to reach an overall deal. 

Attempts to reach Zimbabwean government officials for comment were not immediately successful.

The opposition officials had planned to observe this weekend's Southern African Development Community summit, and have called on the regional body to help resolve Zimbabwe's crisis.

Biti has been Tsvangirai's top negotiator in power-sharing talks with President Robert Mugabe's party. The talks have been deadlocked, with Tsvangirai and Mugabe each claiming he should lead any coalition.

Tsvangirai left the South African-mediated talks late Tuesday, prompting speculation that he had walked out. But in a statement yesterday, Tsvangirai said negotiations would continue.