By MacDonald Dzirutwe
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said Thursday the arrest of a senior opposition official who was due to join a unity government was a matter to be resolved by the courts.
Roy Bennett, named to be deputy agriculture minister in a new government, was arrested before ministers were sworn in last Friday. He has been charged with illegally possessing firearms to commit acts of insurgency, banditry and terrorism.
Bennett was due to be sworn in Thursday but remains in prison after his lawyers failed to have terrorism and insurgency charges dropped against him.
Asked to comment on Bennett's arrest and appearance in court, which has been reported around the world, Mugabe said: "Around the world? I don't know why, that's a court issue."
New Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Wednesday Bennett's arrest undermined the government and efforts to stabilise the economy.
He has also demanded the release of other party activists, including human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko.
Mugabe, who swore in deputy ministers Thursday, said the unity government was on course and that despite past hostilities between his ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC, the parties were now working together.
Bennett's wife, Heather earlier criticised MDC party for failing get him freed from jail.
"They are not doing enough at all. Roy has been there five or six days. As far as I am concerned he is no better off in there under a coalition government than he was under a ZANU-PF government," she told South Africa's eTV.
The MDC may be reluctant to quit the new government formed to lead the country out of economic crisis despite Bennett's arrest, party official Tendai Biti, the new finance minister, said Monday.
Mukoko and opposition activists have been charged with attempting to topple Mugabe and have been in detention for more than two months.
They deny the charges and say they were tortured while in police custody, allegations authorities deny.
(Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Johannesburg)
