At least 80 supporters of an opposition party in Zimbabwe remain in detention after they were arrested in the city of Masvingo over the weekend.

They were rounded up ahead of a rally in the capital Harare yesterday which launched the Citizens Coalition for Change -CCC party’s campaign for parliamentary by-elections next month.

The CCC is led by Nelson Chamisa, the former leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change – MDC which has suffered numerous splits since it was founded more than two decades ago.

The elections in March are for nearly 30 parliamentary constituencies.