Mugabe critic is released on bail

The secretary general of Zimbabwe's opposition party has been released on bail, a day before a controversial presidential run-off.

Tendai Biti, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had been detained on treason charges, which his party says are politically driven.

"It wasn't easy, but we have to continue fighting," Mr Biti told the BBC after his release.

The MDC has withdrawn from Friday's poll over fears of political violence.

In his final campaign speech on Thursday, President Robert Mugabe repeated that he would be prepared to negotiate with the opposition after the election.

"Should we emerge victorious, which I believe we will, sure we won't be arrogant, we will be magnanimous and say 'let's sit down and talk'," Mr Mugabe said, according to comments reported by AFP news agency.

Mr Mugabe also said he intended to attend an African Union summit in Egypt next week.

Earlier, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said negotiations would not be possible if Mr Mugabe went ahead with the run-off.

The leaders from the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), a regional bloc, have called on Mr Mugabe to postpone the vote and negotiate with the opposition.

'Illegitimate'

Speaking to the BBC's World Update programme, Mr Tsvangirai said Zimbabwe's army was preparing to force people to vote in massive numbers for Mr Mugabe.

He said his supporters should vote if necessary to avoid violent reprisals.

"Do not take any risk. It's not worth it. This government is illegitimate. It will remain so."

One MDC supporter in Harare told the BBC's Africa Have Your Say programme that he definitely would not vote because the MDC had not been given a fair chance to campaign.

He said that although he himself was able to vote freely, where the military was in control in rural areas it was "telling people that they must go and vote for Zanu-PF or get killed".

Another Zimbabwean voter told the BBC that she and her whole family would vote for Mr Tsvangirai or, if they were unable to do so, would spoil their ballots to prevent Mr Mugabe claiming their votes.

Mr Mugabe came second to Mr Tsvangirai in the first round of the presidential vote in March.

Since then, the MDC says some 86 of its supporters have been killed and 200,000 forced from their homes by militias loyal to Zanu-PF. The government blames the MDC for the violence.

'People dying'

Mr Biti's release on bail came two weeks after he was arrested.

He has been charged with treason, which carries the death penalty, and also with publishing false statements and insulting the president.

African voices on Zimbabwe's poll crisis In pictures

His bail was set at one trillion Zimbabwe dollars, the equivalent of about $200 (£100).

The court said that Mr Biti had to remain in his home, hand in his passport and the deeds to his house, and report once a week to a police station.

The court also said the state's evidence appeared to be weak at this stage.

After his release, Mr Biti told the BBC's Focus on Africa that the prison reflected "the collapse of the state".

"People are dying there; people have no food; people have no blankets, so it's a depressing place - it really attacks your morale, your strength and so forth," he said.

"So I'm just tired, but the struggle continues."

No postponement

Earlier on Thursday, a senior Zanu-PF official rejected comments by former South African President Nelson Mandela, who said Zimbabwe was suffering a failure of leadership.

Speaking to the BBC, Jerome MacDonald Gumbo said Mr Mandela's statement was "totally unacceptable". He also said there was "no reason" for the run-off vote to be postponed.

Robert Mugabe gave his final campaign speech in Harare on Thursday

Despite Mr Tsvangirai's withdrawal, Zimbabwe's election authority says Friday's vote will go ahead because his letter of notice came too late.

A BBC contributor in the southern town of Masvingo said army chief-of-staff Major General Engelbert Rugeje told a rally that his soldiers would force members of the public to go and vote for Mr Mugabe.

"We are soldiers who do not ask for things, but force things," Maj Gen Rugeje said. "On Friday, we are going to make sure that you go and vote not for a person of your choice, but Mugabe."

Villagers have also described how they have been ordered to feign arm injuries so they can be assisted in polling booths by Zanu-PF supporters, who will ensure they vote for Mr Mugabe.

The crisis has drawn growing international condemnation of Mr Mugabe and his government.

The US has said it will not recognise the results of the vote.