A Zimbabwean lawmaker from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party has been cleared of charges of stealing a mobile phone, state media said on Tuesday.

Lawmaker Thamsanga Mahlangu, who is also deputy minister for youth, had been accused of stealing the phone belonging to a war veteran, but a judge ruled that the evidence did not support the charge.

"The state failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt," magistrate Kudakwashe Jarabini was quoted as saying by state-run Herald.

"The court finds them not guilty hence the accused persons are entitled to an acquittal."

Jarabini said the state's case was riddled with inconsistencies, with witnesses contradicting themselves, adding that the evidence did not back up the case.

Mahlangu was arrested in July and detained for two weeks over the case.

The ruling follows the acquittal last week of another lawmaker from Tsvangirai's party, Heya Shoko, who had been accused of abusing state resources.

Tsvangirai's party, the Movement for Democratic Change has accused President Robert Mugabe's allies of using the police to arrest its lawmakers on trumped-up charges.

Tsvangirai suspended co-operation with Mugabe in the unity government more than two weeks ago, following the arrest of his party's treasurer Roy Bennett on terror charges.

AFP

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