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Forces loyal to President Robert Mugabe hunted down government opponents after a national strike, beating them with iron bars and whips, hospital officials and human rights groups said Monday.

The Zwakwana human rights monitoring group said at least 250 people have been treated in emergency wards of Harare since Thursday for broken bones, bruising and sexual assault in the attacks. At least one person has been killed, the opposition said.

Meanwhile, two opposition lawmakers were arrested and at least 260 people were still being held following last week's strike, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said.

Police confirmed 200 arrests, state radio reported.

Violence erupted Thursday after the end of a two-day strike that was called to protest alleged repression by Mugabe's administration as well as food and gasoline shortages.

The strike, the largest protest since Mugabe came to power in 1980, slowed business activity and transportation across the capital.

On Friday, Mugabe threatened retribution against his government's opponents, saying the strike action was used by the opposition to incite violence. He warned opposition leaders that "those who play with fire will not only be burnt but consumed."

Witnesses said they saw police and ruling party militias taking part in assaults.

The police had no comment on allegations they had a role in the attacks, but the military denied any involvement through the state media.

It was not clear where the beatings took place.

In Washington, the State Department strongly condemned what it said was unprecedented violence sponsored by the Zimbabwe government against domestic opponents.

Spokesman Richard Boucher said the three-day campaign has targeted opposition officials and supporters and other critics of the regime.

Opposition spokesman Paul Themba Nyathi said troops and militias raided the homes of opposition supporters across Harare over the weekend. He said troops assaulted a lawmaker and two of his aides.

Opposition lawmaker Roy Bennett said state agents and army troops stormed his farm Thursday outside Harare and killed a striker accused of rioting and burning a bus.

He said the troops also used whips and riot sticks to beat 30 of his workers.

Army spokesman Col. Ben Ncube denied the incident occurred.

"We have since sent our team to investigate but at the moment we found out there was no such incident," he told the state Herald newspaper.

Mugabe wa re-elected for another six-year term last year in elections that observers said were marred by intimidation and vote-rigging.

Themba Nyathi said strikes and demonstrations would resume soon if the increasingly authoritarian government does not "embark on a program to dismantle the basis of its tyranny."

photo credit and caption:

Hundreds of government supporters gather outside the mayoral offices in Harare Monday March 24, 2003. The supporters called for the removal of the mayor, Elais Mudzuri, accusing him of being inefficient and being a member of the main opposition party, which they say is aimed at destroying the country. (AP Photo)

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