Harare/Johannesburg  - Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was released late Thursday evening after being arrested for a second time in one day, party officials said.

"Morgan is free," party spokesman George Sibotshiwe said Friday from the central city of Gweru.

"He was released at about midnight. We are all free now."

Tsvangirai's campaign convoy, including two large buses in the red, white and black of the MDC and bearing a large picture of his face, grinning, was stopped in Gweru at about 6 pm at a police roadblock.

He had just driven from the nearby town of Kwekwe, where he had been arrested and released after about two hours, without any charges being put to him. (dpa)