Parliament hearing disrupted; MDC MP and journalists beaten up

A Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) legislator and five journalists were Saturday beaten up by hordes of Zanu (PF) supporters who invaded the Parliament building to disrupt a public hearing by a parliamentary committee on the Human Rights Bill.

Announcing the mid-term review, Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti maintained the 2011 GDP growth forecast at 9.3 percent but warned the economy would run up a $700 million deficit after controversial wage increases for civil servants this month.

Some of that deficit might be filled by cutting on Mugabe’s travel budget, as it was published that he had already spend $20 million on foreign travels this year.