Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's government vowed to silence dissent on Wednesday, defying international outrage over an assault which left the opposition leader with a suspected fractured skull. Images of battered Mugabe critic Morgan Tsvangirai going to court after his arrest on Sunday have brought condemnation from several countries including the United States.Washington said on Wednesday it was looking at what additional sanctions it might impose on Zimbabwe. Mugabe, Zimbabwe's sole ruler since independence from Britain in 1980, showed no sign of softening his approach. Political tensions have increased in recent weeks because of plans by Mugabe, now 83, to further extend his rule. His government accused Tsvangirai, the head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and his supporters of inciting violence to overthrow the administration and warned their campaign would end in "grief".
"Those who incite violence, or actually cause and participate in unleashing it, are set to pay a very heavy price, regardless of who they are," Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said in the statement.