Johannesburg/Harare - Several employees of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have been arrested, South African radio reported.

The charges behind the arrests were not immediately known.

Earlier Monday, the High Court in Harare rejected an argument by the Electoral Commission that the courts lack authority to hear the opposition's application for an order forcing ZEC to release results from the March 29 presidential elections.

Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai has claimed outright victory with 50.3 per cent of the vote. President Robert Mugabe, in office since 1980, is already campaigning for a widely-predicted second round, which the law calls for if neither candidate takes more than 50 per cent. (dpa)