Mandebvhu Talks “Zimbabwe”…

US presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Wednesday the international community must do more try to help resolve Zimbabwe’s political crisis and to pressure President Robert Mugabe who is clinging to power.

He singled out South Africa as one country that needs to apply more pressure on Mugabe, 84, who has refused to step down.

“What’s happening in Zimbabwe is tragic. This is a country that used to be the bread basket of Africa. Mugabe has run the economy into the ground. He has perpetrated extraordinary violence against his own people,” Obama told a news conference in Chicago.

Obama, a Democrat, is running in the November presidential election against Republican John McCain.

“Not only do I think that the United Nations needs to continue to apply as much pressure as possible on the Mugabe government, but in particular other African nations, including South Africa, I think have to be much more forceful in condemning the extraordinary violence that’s been taking place there,” Obama said.

“And frankly, they have been quiet for far too long and allowed Mugabe to engage in this sort of anti-colonial rhetoric that is used to distract from his own profound failures as a leader,” he added.

In the heaviest pressure yet on Mugabe by Zimbabwe’s neighbours, a troika of southern African nations urged the postponement of Friday’s presidential election which they say would lack legitimacy in the current violent climate.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai took refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare this week after announcing he had pulled out of election because of violence which has killed about 90 people and displaced 200,000.

The government has said it will go ahead with the presidential election despite a storm of international condemnation and calls to postpone the vote.

“What is remaining of this election is a complete and total sham,” Obama said, echoing US President George W. Bush.

“I don’t think that whatever the results of this election on Friday, that Mugabe will be able to claim any sort of legitimacy as a democratically elected leader in Zimbabwe,” he added.

(Source)

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Zimbabwe’s opposition on Tuesday hand-delivered a letter to the country’s electoral commission confirming that its leader Morgan Tsvangirai will not participate in this week’s presidential run-off, a party spokesman said. “They are now happy recipients of that letter from the MDC,” Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Nelson Chamisa told AFP. “In the letter we are stating clearly that we are not participating in this election.” He added: “We are saying a free and fair election is impossible in the prevailing circumstances.” The letter adds that if Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU PF party goes ahead with the vote set for Friday, “it has no endorsement of the MDC and indeed the majority of the people of Zimbabwe.” According to Chamisa, “the election result of March 29 should stand until a free and fair election is held.”

Tsvangirai defeated President Robert Mugabe in the March 29 first round of the election, but with an official vote total just short of an outright majority. Mugabe’s ruling party also lost its parliamentary majority in the election for the first time since independence from Britain in 1980. Tsvangirai announced on Sunday he was withdrawing from the run-off poll since violence had made a fair election impossible. However, Zimbabwe’s ruling party and electoral officials have said they were pushing ahead with Friday’s run-off because Tsvangirai had not formally confirmed his withdrawal. The opposition claims more than 80 of its supporters have been killed in a campaign of intimidation ahead of the vote, and Tsvangirai has been holed up in the Dutch embassy in Harare for nearly two days, saying he will remain there until he feels safe. International calls have intensified for the government to postpone the run-off election.

(Source)

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Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has pulled out of a run-off election for the country’s presidency, saying that his supporters are facing violent intimidation by loyalists of incumbent Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF.

The MDC says that at least 80 of its supporters have been killed and 200,000 others forced from their homes by ZANU PF supporters - claims denied by Mugabe.

Haru Mutasa, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Zimbabwe, talked to Morgan Tsvangirai about his decision to boycott the June 27 vote and how he sees the future of his party and country.

Haru Mutasa: You have just announced that you are not going to take part in the run-off election for the Zimbabwean presidency. How do you think your supporters will react?

Morgan Tsvangirai: I think our supporters will support this decision, because our council is a representative of all the provinces at the grass roots level.

They are the ones we have to confront with this - on a daily basis they have to live with this violence [allegedly carried out by Mugabe’s supporters].

Therefore, when we took this decision, it was really an informed decision. I think it is in the best interests of our people.

What about those who say you are giving Mugabe an easy victory?

We are not giving victory to anyone.

In fact, if we were to proceed to an election it would satisfy Robert Mugabe because he would be able to claim legitimacy.

But if we withdraw because the conditions are so compelling, then he will have a hollow victory to claim.

For us, we won the election on March 29. What he is now doing, to declare war - we will not be a part of it.

What is next for the MDC – what is your strategy now?

Our basic strategy is to inform our people that this is the way we are going to go.

I think everyone agrees that these elections are not acceptable. We will be able to mobilize international opinion on that basis.

Have you ever considered a government of national unity with ZANU PF?

Everyone is suggesting there is almost an unclaimed momentum around a government of national unity. I don’t know about it.

No-one has discussed with me nor with the party about the possible proposals.

We have never said we are not keen to hold negotiations and we are not keen to accommodate ZANU PF, or to cohabit with ZANU PF. We never said that.

For the good of the country we need a transitional mechanism that is going to take the country to a more stable [situation]. But no-one is coming forward with specific proposals to say “look, this is the crisis we are facing”.

If we have to end [the crisis] in order to create the necessary stability, I think there is a need to co-exist and co-operate.

(Source)

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Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is considering pulling out of the June 27 presidential run-off election, a spokesman for his Movement for Democratic Change said on Friday.

“There is a huge avalanche of calls and pressure from supporters across the country, especially in the rural areas, not to accept to be participants in this charade,” MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Reuters.

Chamisa did not say when the MDC would decide on participating in the run-off between Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the March 29 presidential election but failed to win an absolute majority, according to official results.

The opposition, human rights groups and Western nations accuse Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF of orchestrating a brutal campaign to intimidate the opposition and extend Mugabe’s 28-year rule in the country, its economy now in ruins.

At least 70 opposition activists have been killed by ZANU-PF militia and security forces and thousands of others have been beaten and harassed, the MDC says. Mugabe’s officials blame the opposition for the bloodshed.

Tsvangirai has been arrested five times in the past month and his lieutenant, Tendai Biti, is in police custody facing a treason charge that could carry a death sentence. A judge is due to decide on Friday whether to release Biti.

European Union leaders were set to issue a new threat of further sanctions on Zimbabwe on Friday over the election violence, a draft summit statement showed.

The EU text, obtained by Reuters before the final working session of the two-day summit, said a free and fair election was critical to the resolution of a political and economic crisis in the former British colony.

But it stopped short of backing U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s assertion on Thursday that actions by Mugabe’s government meant the run-off will not be free and fair.

EU leaders urged the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union to deploy a significant number of election monitors and called for a swift and transparent vote count this time after lengthy delays in the first round.

“The European Council reiterates its readiness to take additional measures against those responsible for violence,” it said.

EU sanctions currently include an arms embargo, and visa bans and freezing of assets on more than a hundred officials including Mugabe.

(Source)

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Zimbabwe’s jinxed presidential run-off poll might be scrapped next week in favour of a five-year transitional government.

City Press understands that the move would see President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) working together for the first time, with Mugabe as president and Tsvangirai as executive prime minister.

But progress is being hampered by Mugabe and Tsvangirai jostling for the presidency and wanting to dictate terms related to the functioning of the government of national unity, sources claimed this week.

Zimbabwe abolished the position of prime minister in 1987 when Mugabe, then prime minister, took over as president from Reverend Canaan Banana, who had been ceremonial head of state since independence from Britain in 1980.

Officials in the MDC were tight-lipped on the exact details of the impending political settlement.

But Tsvangirai, who was represented by party secretary-general Tendai Biti at three meetings in Pretoria this week to broker the deal, denied plans to call off the elections.

“I am here campaigning and meeting our supporters in preparation for the election, which we will win despite these senseless arrests and acts of intimidation,” he said shortly before he was arrested yet again this week.

“Yes, we have met for talks, but that was not the direction of the negotiations.” He declined to provide details of the discussions.

Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi chaired the talks, in which Mugabe was represented by his justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, and his right-hand man, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

City Press also understands that Mbeki has been briefed by a team of retired generals he sent to Zimbabwe to assess the conditions ahead of the runoff.

“They told him it is impossible to have a free and fair run-off, that the violence has crippled any chance of a smooth election,” a top Zimbabwean politician said this week.

Mbeki has also briefed Zambian leader and SADC chairperson Levy Mwanawasa on the “worsening” conditions ahead of the polls, which have seen Tsvangirai arrested several times.

Biti, who flew back to Zimbabwe on Thursday after more than two months in exile in Johannesburg, was arrested and is being charged with treason.

Mbeki, mandated by the SADC to mediate in the Zimbabwe crisis, has been given the green light to get the two parties to form a transitional government.

Mwanawasa’s spokesperson, Mike Mulongoti, said he had “no information” on the talks. Mbeki’s spokesperson, Mukoni Ratshitanga, also refused to give details.

“I can neither confirm nor deny the talks. I can confirm the facilitator has had ongoing discussions with the Zimbabwean leadership, but as to what they discussed, I do not know,” he said.

But a reliable source said: “The deal is done and awaits Tsvangirai and Mugabe’s signatures. Both Mbeki and the SADC do not believe the conditions will produce a free and fair election.

“Mbeki has told ZANU PF and the MDC that the best way to solve the impasse is to work together. It is now up to Tsvangirai and Mugabe to put aside their egos and put the country first.”

Another source said: “The sticking point at this stage is that Tsvangirai wants to be the president and to have the powers to decide who in ZANU PF he should be working with. Mugabe, on the other hand, wants Tsvangirai to be prime minister and he wants to decide who in the MDC he should work with in the new government.”

The news of the impending Kenya-style political settlement comes barely 13 days before the June 27 polls and as Zimbabwe’s economy crashed to new lows, with funds sorely lacking to finance the run-off.

“There is not even a cent left in the kitty,” a senior Zimbabwean government official said on Friday. “There isn’t even money to print the ballot papers, let alone pay the polling agents.

“In that scenario, a negotiated political settlement makes sense and ZANU PF is not hostile to that idea. It’s a matter of time,” said the official. “I do not see us going ahead with an election.”

These sentiments were echoed by former Zimbabwean finance minister Simba Makoni in South Africa this week.

(Source)

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Over the past two years my main concern has been that ZANU PF would abandon any pretext that they were a democratic party, simply declare that they were going to govern indefinitely by dictate and continue as a civilian/military junta. Such a junta has effectively governed us since the security chiefs declared in 2002 that they would not accept into power anyone who did not participate in the 1972/80 struggles for Independence.

That they have not done so is due to a number of factors - pride and reluctance to acknowledge that they, among most other African states, were not pursuing democracy as a basic system of determining who governs.

Arrogance, in that they believed that somehow they had a divine right to govern and could use whatever means necessary to achieve the retention of power. Belief, that no matter what they did, their links with other SADC States would protect them diplomatically.

There were other factors of course. They had been rigging elections and using violence as a means of intimidating voters from day 1. Their skills in the former area were widely respected in Africa and many other regimes took note of “how it was done”. The complicity of the Mbeki led government in this process was crucial and they clearly understood how to manipulate South Africa. Finally they viewed local democratic forces with distain and regarded all opposition parties as inferior.

Make no mistake about it, ZANU is a formidable adversary. They are now nearly 60 years old and are well established throughout the country. They have almost unlimited resources by local standards, an infrastructure that has been built up over many years and of course, control of State resources.

They use such resources without constraint and the taxpayer pays for much of what goes on.

But aside from this they have learned a great deal over the past 60 years - how to deal with other political movements in Africa, with African States and the AU/SADC. They are skilled at manipulating global opinion and controlling local information flows. Some of this activity is quite crude, but much of it is sophisticated and in recent years I have admired how swiftly they respond to a challenge or a problem. Like all fascist movements they are also very disciplined.

For example, next week they plan to launch a propaganda onslaught on the issue of violence. In the period 1982 to 1987 they were able to conduct the violent suppression of ZAPU in Matabeleland very much behind closed doors.

Civil Society was not as well organised or resourced in those days and the international community more compliant.

Now when they try to do the same thing in 2008 they have found, after 4 weeks of nation wide violence against MDC and others that they are in all sorts of trouble. American and other foreign diplomats are visiting ZANU bases and torture centres without fear and in a deliberate effort to expose the programme. Civil society is documenting every incident and advertising the perpetrators and the consequences. Modern information technology and the satellite communications system does the rest. I am told the outcry is so great that the UN (that useless lumbering elephant) might actually get off its proverbial posterior and do something.

So next week we expect the regime to start a campaign to blame the MDC for the violence and to show what terrible deeds we are carrying out! We can expect all ZANU actors - Ministers, senior civil servants, diplomats and party aficionados to speak from the same hymnal. Thank goodness we are in fact behaving ourselves.

I spoke to a young farmer last week who had been held hostage in his home by a gang of thugs who eventually opened fire with live ammunition. Although he was armed and perfectly capable of doing some damage, common sense prevailed and he kept his cool. Incredible when you think that over the past decade of violence on farms with all the theft and provocation that has taken place, that hardly a shot has been fired in retaliation or retribution. That is strength - not a weakness.

So now at last, and to my personal relief, we have a date with destiny - the 27th June 2008, three months after the March election. The rules will be the same although the regime is changing all the personnel in the ZEC to try and make it more compliant to orders of a political nature from the ZANU PF and its functionaries. But we have an election - a chance to use the only tool for change that we are prepared to use.

For ZANU PF this presents many problems - they must come out of the Jesse where they are at present, into the open and face their mortal enemy. And make no mistake about it - this is a fight to the finish. Both sides have repudiated compromise; we want to see just who has the support of the people. They must finish this game in front of the whole watching world and every move will be watched and analyzed. I hope they also realize it would be a serious mistake to underestimate the MDC or the people.

Watching Mugabe launch his campaign last night on local television was interesting. It told one salutary story - age matters. At 84 he is no spring chicken and those beady eyes no longer have the same impact they once did.

Gone was the suave English and Oxford row mannerisms. Sometimes he is a bit unsteady on his feet and must be helped.

By rejecting compromise and opting instead for a hard line and violence, Mr Mugabe and his closest allies have in fact sealed their fate. When they are defeated on the 27th of June, they will have no option but to relinquish power to the hated MDC and when that happens they are naked in a legal blizzard. Could not happen to a nicer bunch of people.

Now all you Zimbabweans - once more into the fray! You may be weary, you may be bruised and battered, the business may be on its last legs - but we have to garner the energy and the courage to go back into the field for one last time. This is our decisive moment. With a gallery of billions we have to face ZANU and defeat it - defeat it so decisively that no one can argue that MDC has won and then we can get on with the business of rebuilding this great little country.

Spare a thought today for Morgan who comes back into the country and launches the campaign in Bulawayo on Sunday. We eventually got a Judge torule that we could go ahead and we expect a large crowd. In front of Morgan is six weeks of tough campaigning after the exhausting campaign for the March 29th election. He has not had a break and the pressure on him is massive. Also pray for the family - there is huge pressure on Susan as well.

When we win on the 27th it will be a matter of days and then we will be flung into the arena with many wild animals to fight in a new contest - education, health, starvation and stability, inflation and reconstruction, potholes and shortages of every kind. At least in dealing with thosechallenges we will not be alone. On the 27th June it’s only us - no one elseso get involved. Call me if you want to help 091 2227144, its quite secure!

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 17th May 2008

(Source: via email)

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This afternoon Mr Justice Cheda heard the MDC application for the Police ban to be overturned. The hearing was in Chambers and was convened at 12.00 hrs today. The Police, the Attorney Generals department and Home Affairs all failed to pitch up and the Judge asked to have sight of proof that they had been properly served.

This we provided at 14,30 this afternoon and when the respondents had not materialised the application was heard unopposed.

Justice Cheda granted our application and has issued a final order to the Police not to interfere with the MDC celebration rally on Sunday at White City Stadium.

We are now going ahead with the rally - everything is more or less in place and we expect a crowd of 30 000. Morgan has confirmed he will be at the event and it will mark the start of his campaign for the run off which is now scheduled for the 27th June 2008.

Eddie Cross
16th May 2008 at 17.00 hrs.

(Source: via email)

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In an interview with Channel Africa, the chairperson of the Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission (ZEC), Judge George Chiweshe, says the run-off election will now be held on June 27. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the leader since independence in 1980, and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, are due to square off again after neither achieved over 50% of the vote needed for outright victory in the elections at the end of March. Earlier this week the ZEC said the run-off could be delayed until the end of July. Meanwhile the Pan African Parliament (PAP) is ready to send another mission to Zimbabwe to observe the presidential run-off election there. This was announced by PAP President, Gertrude Mongella, at the closing session of the parliament’s sitting at Midrand today. Mongella says the PAP bureau is trying to mobilise funds to send observer missions to seven forthcoming elections in Africa.

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29 March 2008

7 pm.

Polls close throughout the country with few reported incidents.

Reconciliation of ballot papers and counting process takes place with few reported incidents.

10 pm.

Results begin to be sent to MDC Command Center by MDC polling agents.

Throughout the night, after counting is completed, V11 tally forms are posted outside all (+/- 9200) polling station as required by law. MDC heard of few incidents. Some rural counting was stopped until morning because of lack of electricity. This is a consensual agreement of all parties in these polling stations.

29-30-31 March

Counting is completed at all polling stations. The Representatives of all Parties agree and sign off on the results for each Polling Station on a form called a V11, copies of which are posted outside the Polling Station for public viewing as required by law.

(MDC polling agents report the results by SMS and phone to MDC election command center after the count is completed. 85% of polling agents report V11 results by 31 March.)

The V11 forms are then transported by ZEC to the ward level Command Centres where they are summarized into V23 forms. The Results of these Council Elections are announced and a copy posted outside. Ballot boxes remain at the Polling Stations and are only moved to the Constituency Command Centres at a later stage.

These V23 forms then travel with Police/ZEC vehicles to the 210 Constituency Command Centres for tallying of House of Assembly seats. This process is largely completed by ZEC officials by 31 March. Results for each of the 207 House of Assembly seats are announced by Constituency Election Officers and again the results are posted outside for public viewing.

MDC hears of no cases where Constituency Election Officers deviated from this procedure.

These V23 forms travel to the Senatorial Command Centers for compilation of Senate results. Senate election results are tallied and winners announced. This is mostly completed by 31 March.

The V23 forms then traveled to Provincial Command Centres where all the results for each Province are tallied to get Provincial Results. No results are announced at this stage of the process. The V23 forms for each Province are then moved for submission to the National Counting Center in Harare.

1 April

Chief Election Agents (or candidates) for President assemble at the Sheraton Command Center to begin the final verification process which started at 2.30 p.m.

By 3.30 p.m. verification is completed of Presidential results of both Harare and Bulawayo provinces with minor amendments. Chief Election Officers of the MDC and the Independent parties, (ZANU PF was not present), sign off on the figures for these provinces.

Verification process begins for Mashonaland Central. MDC’s chief electoral agent notices some high figures in some constituencies and requests to verify the V11 forms tally with ZEC numbers.

MDC Chief Election Agent is told by ZEC that the V11s are still in the province.

ZEC says, “Once the V11s are assembled we will continue with the process.” ZEC notes to the chief election agents, “there will be some logistical problems” in getting the V11s.

MDC offers to loan ZEC some fuel to assist with these problems in retrieving the V11s from provincial centers. This offer is not accepted.

1-8 April

MDC hears nothing from ZEC at all.

8 April

MDC learns that ZEC Counting Center at the Sheraton has been dismantled.

Chief Election Agent meets ZEC official, where he is having breakfast, who reports that it had to be closed because of ZEC’s financial constraints but that “the verification team is ‘somewhere.’

MDC was not informed that the Counting Command Center was now closed.

MDC eventually hears “from the grapevine” that the verification center has moved to Room 1611 of the Sheraton.

MDC is told, however, that armed people surround the room and that they “wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near”. (MDC never confirmed that police were armed.)

9 April

MDC verification team decides to move out of Sheraton Hotel because of budget constraints.

9-29 April

MDC hears nothing from ZEC except for Pamire who called approximately twice in the week on behalf of Chief Election Officer Sekeramayi to say “they are still working on the V11’s”.

29 April

Chief Election Agents and/or candidates are invited to verification exercise at 2:30 pm on 1 May at the Sheraton Conference Center.

MDC expresses reservations about delay in calling them to the verification center.

Both MDC and Simba Makoni demand to know what they had done with their votes for all these weeks. This was well articulated by Makoni.

MDC Chief Election Agent states, “We need to agree on the methodology of the whole exercise. We should all understand what verification is so we are all clear right from the beginning.”

He states: “All must agree that the counting center is like a polling station and processes that take place in a polling station have to apply to the verification exercise.”

After agreement on methodology, MDC request the national vote total according to ZEC.

ZEC complies.

MDC then asks for the national total broken into each province and then each constituency.

ZEC complies.

But then ZEC asks MDC and the other candidates to provide ZEC with their own vote totals.

MDC rejects this request, telling ZEC that ZEC is the official authority running the election.

MDC notes that its figures are not necessary to provide because it is ZEC’s numbers that must stand in the court of law, not MDCs which were gathered from V11 forms posted on polling stations.

Makoni and ZANU PF provide all their count figures to ZEC.

MDC gives only its own National Total and Morgan Tsvangirai’s Total. ZEC then punches these figures into their computer and they themselves come up with the percentage figure of 50.3%.

ZEC asks MDC for its Provincial and other candidate’s breakdowns. MDC says it is not its business to provide ZEC numbers for its competitors. Chief Election Agents says “I have come to tell you, I am telling you now, MDC won this election.”

MDC sees no need for ZEC to produce every V11 tally sheet for the entire country. It requests ZEC to provide V11s only in places where it believes that turnout spikes indicate MDC may have been cheated.

ZEC continued to tell MDC, “Give us your numbers.”

Finally ZEC says, “We don’t seem to be making any progress.”

ZEC then asks MDC to bring its figures “tomorrow or they will be excluded from the process.”

MDC tells ZEC that its secretariat had not included the number breakdowns in their briefing packs that day and would return with them. Verification then adjourns and arguments postponed until the following morning.

2 May

ZEC again calls upon MDC to present its detailed figures as ZANU and Makoni had done. The fourth candidate had no figures at all so MDC said, “We will help you.”

MDC agrees to provide ZEC the provincial breakdowns.

ZEC then says, “We have a big problem with figures, what’s the way forward?”

MDC requests the V11s to verify the numbers provided by ZEC, especially in Mashonaland West Province.

MDC agents says, “We need to agree on the number of wards and polling stations in that province” in order to ensure it receives the full compilation of V11 forms.

The process of verification then starts soon after 10.00 am.

First V11 form: No problems.

Second V11 form: No problems.

Third V11 form: Problems. Form has no MDC signature. ZEC explains this could be for two reasons, either the polling agent wasn’t there or he refused to sign. MDC says, “Okay. We will investigate but give them the benefit of the doubt.” MDC notes down this anomaly.

Fourth V11 form: No problems.

Fifth V11 Form: Problems. “Form” is actually handwritten piece of paper, not an official form, but the MDC polling agent had signed it. MDC tells ZEC it needs to identify and query the polling agent for this polling station.

Sixth V11 form: No problems.

Seven V11 form: No problems.

After reviewing only seven V11’s, the verification process is then abruptly stopped at 11.20 by the Chief Election Officer Sekeremayi who states, “We can no longer continue this process. If we continue this process it will take four weeks.”

MDC election agent responds, “You have had our votes for four weeks; we are prepared to wait four more weeks. We want a credible and transparent verification process.”

The meeting is adjourned until 2:00 pm.

When Chief Election Agents return it is a markedly hostile environment. Chief Election Officer Sekeremayi simply reads a statement saying he will announce result. He states, “If parties are dissatisfied with the results, they can go to court.” He then proceeds to formally announce the result, despite voluminous protestations, (including protests from Makoni himself).

MDC responds to the announcement telling Sekeramayi it will reject the result because the legally-mandated verification process has not taken place. Accordingly, MDC does not sign the results verification form as required by law, and as mandated at the SADC Extraordinary Summit in Lusaka. SADC rep Kingsley Mamabolo and Salamao are also present when the verification was precipitously stopped. (The SADC Reps indicate that they are only here to observe and therefore cannot do or say anything.)

(Source: via email)

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Finally a tyrant is brought into the 21st century, if kicking and screaming. President Robert Mugabe’s rein of terror looks at an end at last as Mr Morgan Tsvangirai challenged the president’s choice to refuse an announcement of election results until there had been a recount. There is now to be a re-run of the presidential poll and good luck to the Movement of Democratic Choice that they make it out of this second one alive.

Mr Nqobizitha Mlilo, spokesman for the MDC, said ‘it is quite obvious we won this election hands down’, as the president refuses to admit he is being ousted after 28 long years of suffering for Zimbabwe. Almost a modern day Hitler it is widely known of his special police hunting white framers and killing any opposition from the people, black or white.

Now the public can see he is scared, and if he doesn’t step down now he will surely be dragged from power and charged with genocide. With the ‘worsening violence’ hopefully coming to an end as the country has the re-run the possibility that a kinder man will be seated at the reins of one of Africa’s most beautiful but troubled contries is uncertain.

Mr Tsvangirai, thankfully, is no dunce. After the trouble with releasing the results became public he quickly took refuge in Zimbabwe’s neighbouring country, the peaceful Botswana. Never has there been two more juxtaposing countries to share a border.

With leaders the world over including UK Prime Minister Brown advising Mugabe to step down only to receive abusive speeches in return it will be a relief globally when he is finally out.

Because the MDC have not won outright if Mugabe will not step down it will mean his party, ZANU PF, attempting to run the country with an opposition-controlled parliament. Yet more instability for a country already on its knees.

The only question now is whether Tsvangirai can win the run off. With Mugabe’s former finance minsiter Simba Makoni behind him as well it must be possible. The MDC must be praying the country does not suffer yet more violence as they make plans to see the run-off though.

(Source)

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