Zimbabwe - Morgan Tsvangirai Set To Marry After Court Victory

A court in Zimbabwe has thrown out a bid by a woman to block Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's wedding on Saturday to his fiancee, Elizabeth Macheka.

Locadia Tembo had argued that the wedding could not take place because she was herself Mr Tsvangirai's wife under customary law.

But High Court Judge Antonia Guvava ruled such marriages were not valid.

Some analysts say it is part of a political dirty tricks campaign to smear the prime minister's reputation.

But others say he only has himself to blame as he has been involved with a number of women since his wife died in a car crash soon after he became prime minister in 2009.

A reporter in the capital, Harare, says another woman, Nozipho Shilubane from South Africa, filed papers on Thursday at a magistrates' court in an attempt to stop Mr Tsvangirai's marriage.

She says she became engaged to Mr Tsvangirai in South Africa and that he promised to marry her. The case will be heard on Friday.

President Robert Mugabe, who is in a fractious coalition with Mr Tsvangirai, is due to attend Saturday's wedding.

Our reporter says the ceremony is expected to take place in an upmarket area north of Harare.

Mr Mugabe is due to host a post-wedding banquet for other heads of state who will be there, he says.

Mr Tsvangirai, 59, and Mr Mugabe - the leaders of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Zanu-PF respectively - are expected to run against each other in presidential elections, due next year.