Supporters of Zimbabwe’s ruling party have killed a third member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in a week, an MDC official said on Tuesday.

President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF meanwhile accused the MDC and Britain of supporting a campaign of violence ahead of elections in March next year. Trymore Midzi, an MDC official in Bindura, some 60km north of Harare, died on Monday after he was attacked by Zanu PF supporters, the MDC’s Elliot Pfebve said.

Pfebve said Midzi was rushed to hospital after a brutal assault on Friday, then transferred to Harare where he died. Midzi’s death follows reports on Monday in the privately run Daily News that MDC members Titus Nheya and Milton Chambati were killed by alleged Zanu PF members last week.

Police could only confirm the death of Chambati. In a statement released late on Monday, Zanu PF accused the MDC of stepping up “a campaign of violence in rural areas” using “hired youths”. “Zanu PF calls on the MDC… and its British sponsors to desist from perpetrating violence in the rural areas,” said the statement. Pfebve said Midzi had been assaulted by 20 or so “Zanu PF militia”.

“They attacked him in Bindura and were in their uniforms,” Pfebve said via telephone from the town. While it was impossible to obtain police confirmation of the attack, the official ZIANA news agency reported on Monday that MDC youths had been sent to Bindura to avenge the death of one of their members. “We are on alert and continue to observe these vehicles coming in with the MDC supporters,” police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena told ZIANA.

The MDC says there have been at least 83 politically motivated murders this year in Zimbabwe, but the police put the figure at around 25. Mugabe faces his strongest challenge for power yet at the polls next March from MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, amid increasing international protests at government policy in the implementation of controversial land reforms, accompanied by violence, and repression of opponents of his leadership.