By Fiona Forde
Morgan Tsvangirai became a prisoner in his own country for a short while on Thursday after his travel documents were confiscated when he attempted to leave Harare airport, only to be returned a few hours later.
The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, along with the party's secretary general Tendai Biti, who was also the chief negotiator in the collapsed talks, were due to board a lunch-time flight to Johannesburg to attend a summit of regional leaders on Saturday. With them was the party's international relations secretary Eliphas Mukonoweshuro.
Tsvangirai's Emergency Travel Document, which was issued only a fortnight ago, and his old passport which is no longer valid but which he always carries in his possession, were taken from him at Harare International Airport.
Biti's and Mukonoweshuro's passports were also confiscated.
However, by mid-afternoon Tsvangirai's spokesperson George Sibosithwe confirmed that the documents had been returned, but was unable to explain why they had been taken in the first place or when Tsvangirai would attempt to travel next.
"The passports have been returned for all of them, but we don't know why they were taken," he told Independent Newspapers.
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