Zimbabwe Election: Progress & Results

MDC urges intervention in 'war'



Zimbabwe's opposition is suspicious
of the motives for the recount

African leaders and the UN must act to ensure democracy triumphs in Zimbabwe, says a key opposition figure.
MDC secretary general Tendai Biti said Zimbabwe was now "in a war situation" following disputed polls on 29 March.
He said 10 people had been killed, hundreds injured and thousands displaced in post-election violence. After a request from the ruling party, electoral officials are conducting a partial recount of the parliamentary vote, won by the MDC.
Votes are being recounted in 23 constituencies, a process election officials say could take more than three days to complete.

Three weeks after polls were held, the presidential result is still unknown. The opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai - who has fled the country - insists he won the presidential vote outright, and has demanded that the results be released.



Tendai Biti
MDC general secretary

'Frustration'

Speaking at a news conference in Johannesburg, neighbouring South Africa, Mr Biti urged African leaders and the United Nations to prevent a slide towards violence in Zimbabwe. He said the MDC was trying to prevent Zimbabweans being "seduced" into violence, but pointed out that amid a lack of jobs, food and medicines they were getting increasingly frustrated. In addition to the claims of post-election violence, the opposition also says dozens of its supporters have been arrested by the security forces.

"If democracy fails in Zimbabwe, what options are you leaving to the people of Zimbabwe?" he asked. Mr Biti called the recount "mendacious and illegal", and said there was evidence of tampering with the ballot boxes. He said his party would not participate in a run-off - though the party has previously said it would participate if certain conditions were met.

Evidence of violence

The government has not commented on these latest accusations, but has so far denounced all of the opposition's claims as lies.

HAVE YOUR SAY

I predict that the situation will end up like Kenya. Mugabe will be encouraged by the African Union to form a national unity government Frank Hartry, South Africa The BBC's Will Ross in South Africa - the BBC is barred from Zimbabwe - says it is difficult to verify the numbers of people the MDC claims have been killed, wounded or displaced in recent political violence.
But he says there is evidence that there has been violence, particularly in rural areas - something the MDC accuses the government of orchestrating in a bid to intimidate opposition voters in the lead-up to a possible run-off.

The New York-based Human Rights Watch on Saturday accused Zanu-PF of "using a network of informal detention centres to beat, torture, and intimidate opposition activists and ordinary Zimbabweans".

South African dock workers last week refused to unload a Chinese ship carrying arms destined for Zimbabwe, and a South African court barred its cargo from being transported overland to the border.

UN effort

On Sunday the 53-member African Union urged Zimbabwe to release the election results "without any further delay", and called for restraint from all parties. Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would discuss "how to get developments there back to normal" with a number of African leaders on the sidelines of a UN summit in Ghana. Kofi Annan, his predecessor, has also urged African leaders to do more to address the crisis.

The alarm bells are getting louder but so far they show little sign of making any difference in Zimbabwe, our correspondent says. Few African heads of state are attending the UN summit in Ghana and it will not be a priority at a conference of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), currently taking place in Mauritius.

Click to expand...

Kwanza hivi sasa yuko madarakani isivyo halali kwani kabla ya uchaguzi alijiuzulu na mawaziri wake vile vile hii ni balaa kubwa sana kwa Africa.

Whatever the case Zimbabweans have suffered a lot and will come out winners very soon. Nobody is bigger than the country.

Dua said:

BTW Inakuwaje rais na baraza lake la mawaziri ambao walijiuzuru kabla ya uchaguzi waendelee na nyadhifa hizo ili hali matokeo bado kutangazwa? Wamejichukulia vyao mapema absolutely without a doubt.

Ile meli ya silaha bado kuwasili Dar, Beira au Maputo? Pengine itakwenda kuweka kambi Somalia.

Click to expand...

Sasa hivi kila kitu kinawezekana Zimbabwe na pengine nchi nyingi za Africa.

Arms-carrying ship running out of fuel

The Times, SA

Sapa Published:Apr 21, 2008

The Chinese ship carrying arms destined for Zimbabwe is mired in a legal battle, leaving many questions unanswered about SA’s moral obligations and the country’s maritime jurisdiction.

Questions have asked whether the ship should be detained by the navy, the Justice Alliance of South Africa said yesterday. It was very unlikely that the An Yue Jiang would have sufficient fuel to reach Angola without bunkering in another port en route, Jasa said. The An Yue Jiang did not bunker in Durban. She lifted anchor and set sail from Durban on Friday as the Sheriff of Durban approached the vessel.

Barely an hour before the vessel set sail, the Durban High Court ordered that the ship enter Durban’s harbour and off-load the armaments which had to be held by the sheriff of Durban. Jasa yesterday urged the port authorities in East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town to be on their guard lest the ship try to obtain fuel surreptitiously.

Jasa said when the case returns to the Durban High Court on Friday, Judge Kate Pillay must take judicial notice of the brutal military campaign of repression headlined in the media.

“There can be no doubt, as the Sunday Times spells out, that the ship’s cargo is designed to strengthen this campaign of intimidation of voters.” Questions still remain on whether the ship should be boarded by the SA Navy, escorted into harbour, and the high court order taped to its mast.

Click to expand...

Secret imports of attack helicopters and weapons revealed

Ready for the attack. Mugabe ordered seven of these Russian assault helicopters, armed with guns, rockets and bombs.

Mugabe’ Chinese and US arms deals go bad


Mi24 Fighter

HARARE; Robert Mugabe has no plans to relinquish power and has been surreptitiously buying weapons ready for full-scale armed conflict, according to secret dossiers that came to light this week. Information given to The Zimbabwean on Sunday reveals that Mugabe placed a clandestine order for 10 Russian military helicopters with a United States-based businessman, who was arrested this week.

The US businessman, Peter Spitz (70), now faces charges of trying to sell 10 Russian military helicopters equipped with guns, rockets and bombs to Zimbabwe in defiance of a US military embargo which bars sale of weapons to Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwean on Sunday understands Spitz appeared in a Federal Court in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday.

An affidavit says the order for seven MI-24 Russian attack helicopters and three MI-8T Russian military transport helicopters had been placed by the '”commercial entity set up by a cabinet member of the [Zimbabwe] government”. Zimbabwe reportedly made a ‘test’ deposit of US$11,000 to Spitz’s Russian Aircraft Services LLC in separate accounts at Colonial and Wachovia banks on April 3. Those transactions established Spitz’s intent to sell the helicopters to Zimbabwe, in violation of federal law. According to a criminal affidavit, the price for each helicopter was quoted at US$750,000.

In another deal, a ship laden with arms of war destined for Zimbabwe docked in Durban on April 14, but the authorities refused to clear it because it did not meet their procedures.
Durban harbour spokesperson Ricky Bhikraj said a Chinese vessel had entered the port without clearance and was currently docked at the outer anchorage. The ship – An Yue Jiang – was carrying a consignment comprising a variety of arms destined for Zimbabwe.
“We can confirm that there is an uncleared vessel by that name currently at the outer anchorage. The allegations are being handled by the various national security authorities,” Bhikraj said.

“There is a normal process for all ISPS (International Ship and Ports Security) vessels to be cleared to enter the port.”
The weapons are being ordered as a military junta has taken charge of the day-to-day running of the country, with Mugabe as its civilian head. Two hundred soldiers have been deployed in the countryside where they are unleashing a reign of terror, assaulting opposition activists who voted against Mugabe and his Zanu (PF) and grabbing the last remaining white farms using brute force.

Click to expand...

Thats Robert Mugabe the dictator who destroyed Zimbabwe.

Hivi mwezi ushapita tokea hawa jamaa wafanye mchezo wao wa maigizo?

Nyani Ngabu said:

Hivi mwezi ushapita tokea hawa jamaa wafanye mchezo wao wa maigizo?

Click to expand...

...eee bwana hawa jamaa kiboko,yaani mpaka unacheka tuu,kwani hata hiyo high court yao ina maana haiwezi kulazimisha matokeo yatolewe maana hatujui kwa nini matokeo hayatolewi? lakini sishangai maana hata mjomba wako mwanakiji anawalaumu wazungu kwa hili na huyo ndio mwanaharakati wa demokrasi mitandaoni..kazi ipo!

Koba said:

...eee bwana hawa jamaa kiboko,yaani mpaka unacheka tuu,kwani hata hiyo high court yao ina maana haiwezi kulazimisha matokeo yatolewe maana hatujui kwa nini matokeo hayatolewi? lakini sishangai maana hata mjomba wako mwanakiji anawalaumu wazungu kwa hili na huyo ndio mwanaharakati wa demokrasi mitandaoni..kazi ipo!

Click to expand...

Halafu nikisema ule msemo wangu watu wananitukana kimya kimya....

..haya sasa naona anajiandaa kwa vita,yaani hii 40% iliyompa kura huyu mzee nayo ni wendawazimu tuu na hiyo chicken supreme court yao ambayo haiwezi hata kuenforce matokeo yatangazwe naona wanataka hii vita ije,naona hapa anayejitahidi kuzuia huyu dikteta ni huyo mzungu anayelaumiwa huku weusi ndio wako mbele kutaka kuumizana na kuirudisha zimbabwe miaka 100 nyuma

US seeks to block Zimbabwe-bound Chinese arms By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer
Mon Apr 21, 6:33 PM ET



The Bush administration is intervening with governments in southern Africa to prevent a Chinese ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe's security forces from unloading its cargo, The Associated Press has learned.

At the same time, the State Department's top Africa hand, Jendayi Frazer, plans to visit the region this week to underscore U.S. concerns about the shipment. Frazer also will try to persuade Zimbabwe's neighbors to step up pressure on President Robert Mugabe's government to publish results from a disputed election that the opposition claims to have won, administration officials said Monday.

U.S. intelligence agencies are tracking the vessel, the An Yue Jiang, and American diplomats have been instructed to press authorities in at least four nations — South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Angola — not to allow it to dock, the officials told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss delicate diplomatic talks.

The ship, which is laden with large amounts of weapons and ammunition, already has been turned away from South Africa and Mozambique, and is now believed to be headed for Angola, possibly with a refueling stop in Namibia. The freighter left South Africa after a judge on Friday barred the arms from transiting South Africa and it was not immediately clear if U.S. lobbying had influenced authorities in Mozambique who stopped it from docking over the weekend.

Two officials said Washington's effort to block the ship from unloading its cargo was now concentrated on Namibia and Angola and that both countries were being told that allowing the An Yue Jiang to dock could harm their relations with the United States.

There are fears that the arms, which include mortar grenades and bullets, could be used by Mugabe's regime to expand a clampdown on opposition supporters. The government has refused to publish the results of presidential elections held three weeks ago, and there are reports of increasing violence against the opposition.

South Africa's main trade union confederation has called on workers in other African countries to follow the example of South African dock and freight workers who said Friday they would not unload the ship or transport its cargo.

The State Department endorsed that position on Monday.

"Given Zimbabwe's current electoral crisis, we do share the concerns ... that these arms could be used against individuals who are merely trying to freely express their political will," said Kurtis Cooper, a department spokesman.

"We call on the Zimbabwe government to immediately cease the perpetration of brutal acts against its citizens and strongly urge the regional leadership to enhance its intervention for an expeditious solution to the postelection crisis," Cooper said.

The comments, prepared ahead of an expected announcement that Frazer will travel to southern Africa, come as the Bush administration has grown increasingly impatient with Mugabe — whose recent rule Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week called "an abomination" — and with Zimbabwe's neighbors for not taking a harder line against the octogenarian leader.

The 14-nation Southern African Development Community, known as SADC, has been unwilling to take the tough stand on Zimbabwe as called for by western countries, notably Britain and the United States.

Part of Frazer's planned trip is aimed at rallying support for action from SADC members, whose leaders met in a mid-April summit on Zimbabwe but could agree only on a weak declaration that failed to criticize the absent Mugabe, officials said.

Robert Mugabe doing his best to remain in Power

State orchestrated torture in Zimbabwe

Sokwanele Article said:

: April 22nd, 2008
This post serves to alert the press and others to images available for download from our Flick account. We also provide, at the end of this post, a list of RSS feeds to provide instant updates on Sokwanele information. Please subscribe to them; we'd be grateful if you alerted others to this information too.

Click to expand...

The email message accompanying these images read:
The attached pics are of a young man (38) from Dzivarasekwa, Harare who was abducted by “soldiers” militia in full combat camoflage kit with fringed hats who beat him for hours with chains and fan belts on his back and chest. Also on his feet and hands.

The reason for this terrible beating is that he transported MDC supporters to the pre election rallies.
Ambulances went to Kotwa Hospital on Saturday evening to uplift five critical cases and they were stopped just short of the hospital by CIO agents who threatened their lives and then followed them for 100 kms back to Harare.
Now the ambulances refuse to go out there.

I really fear for those peoples lives.
We have been trying to get them out in civilian trucks, but Police road blocks surround the Mudzi area. If we were not successful last night, then a convoy of vehicles will go in.
This is a shocking situation we find ourselves in, when we are prevented from taking our battered and burned members to hospital.



This man, above, is from Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, Mashonaland East Province, the local ‘war vet’ and Zanu PF militia put plastic on his back and arms and burned it. He only managed to get to hospital four days later.




This man, above, is also from the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe area. He was tied to his hut door by militia and then set alight. This happened last week. He only managed to get to hospital last night.


Caritas calls for Zimbabwe arms embargo as Church fears genocide

Hapana bana...haya hayawezekani kutokea Zimbabwe. Waafrika hatuko hivyo.

Nyani Ngabu said:

Hapana bana...haya hayawezekani kutokea Zimbabwe. Waafrika hatuko hivyo.

Click to expand...

tatizo ni kuwa mugabe anachukiwa na vibaraka wa wakoloni...kwa hiyo wanajitahidi kuonyesha hata picha za watu wenye magonjwa ya ngozi kisha wanamsingizia shujaa bob.
mi kwa hilo haliniingii akilini na ninaungana na wewe.

Naona ZANU PF wameanza kuumbuana, ngoja tuone mwisho wa siku mambo yatakwendaje. Ninaanza kupata hisia kwamba waliokuwa madarakani wanaogopa kisasi kwa mabaya waliyoyatenda na ndiyo maana wana ng'ang'ania kuendelea madarakani hata kama wameshindwa uchaguzi.


Zvinavashe concedes after recount, takes aim at Mugabe

By Fikile Mapala

THE losing Zanu PF Senate candidate for Gutu constituency General Vitalis Zvinavashe has blamed President Robert Mugabe for the party’s poor showing in Masvingo Province after a recount of ballots in his constituency failed to change the party’s fortunes.

The former army commander also urged fellow Zanu PF candidates at a counting centre in the province to live with the reality that they had indeed lost the elections to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

Zvinavashe, a former army commander who once vowed he would never salute Tsvangirai, spoke Wednesday while addressing Zanu PF House of Assembly and local council election candidates during the recounting of ballots for three constituencies at Gutu rural district council offices in Masvingo.

Zvinavashe said: “There is no need to fight over these results. We must accept the reality that we have lost these elections to the MDC. What is important is to live together in peace, both losers and winners. We do not want violence in this area. We are relatives.”

The former Zimbabwe Defence Forces chief startled election officials and agents when he publicly suggested that Zanu PF candidates in Masvingo had lost because of the party’s presidential candidate President Robert Mugabe.

He said: “Most of us lost these elections not because we are not popular in our constituencies. We lost these harmonised elections because of one man.

“People rejected us because we were campaigning for Mugabe. People in Masvingo have rejected him and we became collateral damage. There is no reason to fight with the MDC over this election. The real problem is that man not us.”

The revealing remarks by Zvinavashe were made in the presence of MDC candidates and polling agents who were at the counting centre.

Recounts were underway in 23 constituencies where Zanu PF claimed President Mugabe and Zanu PF’s ballots had been undercounted by corrupt election officials who took money from the MDC. Of the 23, two recounts were triggered by the MDC.

Zanu PF hopes to overturn its defeat in parliamentary elections after losing its majority to the MDC for the first time in the March 29 elections. Results of the presidential election are still being withheld almost a month after voting, amid growing international concerns that the country could be lurching towards violence.

Zvinavashe is said to have advised his chief election agent Bertha Chikwama -- the losing Zanu PF parliamentary candidate for Gutu East -- to abandon the recounting process saying it was “a waste of time” since nothing would change.

On Sartuday, police had to intervene when Zanu PF candidates Lovemore Matuke, Shuvai Mahofa and their polling agents threatened to attack opposition candidates following a misunderstanding over the recounting process.

Zvinavashe, who lost the election to Empire Makamure of the MDC, urged Zanu PF candidates to shun violence but to ensure peaceful co-existence with members of the opposition in the province.

The MDC retained all the three recounted constituencies in the rural district – a former Zanu PF stronghold. MDC candidates Eliphas Mukonoweshuro (Gutu South), Oliver Chirume (Gutu Central) and Edmore Maramwidze (Gutu North) said they had retained their seats at the close of recounting Wednesday afternoon.

Gutu central legislator Chirume said it he was now the official MP for Gutu Central after ZEC officials announced the new results which had given him an increased lead.

He said: “It’s now official. The recounting is over and I am still the winner. The only difference now is that the margin is now wider than before. Zanu PF is history here.”

The MP confirmed his two colleagues had also retained their seats after the recount.

Recounts are also being carried out in Chimanimani West, Mutare West, Bikita West, Bikita South, Bulilima East, Zhombe, Zaka East, Zvimba North, Silobela, Chiredzi North, Gokwe-Kabuyuni, Buhera South, Lupane East, Mberengwa East, West, South, North, Masvingo Central and Masvingo West.

Goromonzi West has already been declared to Zanu PF almost unchanged from the initial result.

Dua said:

Robert Mugabe doing his best to remain in Power

State orchestrated torture in Zimbabwe

The email message accompanying these images read:
The attached pics are of a young man (38) from Dzivarasekwa, Harare who was abducted by “soldiers” militia in full combat camoflage kit with fringed hats who beat him for hours with chains and fan belts on his back and chest. Also on his feet and hands.

The reason for this terrible beating is that he transported MDC supporters to the pre election rallies.
Ambulances went to Kotwa Hospital on Saturday evening to uplift five critical cases and they were stopped just short of the hospital by CIO agents who threatened their lives and then followed them for 100 kms back to Harare.
Now the ambulances refuse to go out there.

I really fear for those peoples lives.
We have been trying to get them out in civilian trucks, but Police road blocks surround the Mudzi area. If we were not successful last night, then a convoy of vehicles will go in.
This is a shocking situation we find ourselves in, when we are prevented from taking our battered and burned members to hospital.

This man, above, is from Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe, Mashonaland East Province, the local ‘war vet’ and Zanu PF militia put plastic on his back and arms and burned it. He only managed to get to hospital four days later.

This man, above, is also from the Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe area. He was tied to his hut door by militia and then set alight. This happened last week. He only managed to get to hospital last night.


Caritas calls for Zimbabwe arms embargo as Church fears genocide

Click to expand...

Dua,

Are you serious on this? Lini Waafrika tutajifunza kutoka maafa yaliyopita?

Mmesikia tangazo la Jendayi leo?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/24/zimbabwe.ship/index.html

Zimbabwe: Vote Recount Strategy Misfires

Dumisani Muleya
Harare

ZANU PF’s strategy to fight back by ordering vote recounts in a bid to reverse its recent electoral defeat and buy more time for President Robert Mugabe is in disarray.

The situation has left Mugabe and his vanquished party with no option but to face a potentially humiliating presidential election run-off next month without control of parliament.

Mugabe, who is thought to have lost to opposition MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, is widely expected to lose heavily to joint opposition forces despite using overwhelming force to change his fortunes.

Tsvangirai, who officially did not get the required majority, and independent candidate Simba Makoni together won a clear majority ahead of Mugabe.

The MDC and its allies have also won a majority in the House of Assembly, converting Zanu PF into a big opposition party.

Sources said Mugabe and Zanu PF have been playing for time after their shock setback to recover, reorganise and fight back.

However, the plan seems to have been thrown into disarray as the recounts so far have not changed anything.

The MDC had by yesterday retained its seats in Zaka West and the three Gutu constituencies. Zanu PF had won back two.

A total of nine recounts had by last evening been done, but there were no changes in the results. This means Zanu PF needs to win the 14 remaining recounts to control parliament.

The MDC and its allies have 110 seats, while Zanu PF has 97. Three seats are empty.

It was said this had sent alarm bells ringing in the corridors of power again as frightened authorities desperately try to reverse initial results to regain control of parliament and limit damage in Mugabe’s heavy crash.

“Things are not going according to plan,” a well-placed source said. “Although they have managed to buy time the real strategy to regain control of parliament via the back door and fight back with all means available at the run-off is not working. The recount has become a smokescreen and an exercise in futility.”

The sources said Mugabe and his advisors knew the recount of presidential election votes would not change anything except probably limit damage and give the party a glimmer of hope he might survive through a run-off.

Official documents to hand show Mugabe did not expect to win by means of a recount.

The recount is only in 23 constituencies at the level of presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and municipal polls.
Mugabe, documents say, is merely expected to get an extra 7 000 votes in total, which does not change anything, especially because Tsvangirai has also been gaining votes in some cases.

Documents sampling about 36 urban and rural wards submitted by Zanu PF to ZEC to justify the recounts show all parties and candidates were prejudiced in mistakes made during the counting and collation of votes.

For instance, at Rimbi Primary School ward in Musikavanhu constituency in Chipinge, Mugabe was robbed of 425 votes, while Tsvangirai’s tally was underestimated by 778 ballots. Makoni lost 20 votes and the other candidate Langton Towungana 7 votes.

The situation was the same in wards in Chimanimani West where all the candidates were prejudiced of votes.

In the Chimanimani East ward 22, Tsvangirai had his votes underestimated by 193 ballots and Mugabe lost 137 votes.
There are other different examples where other candidates gained votes at the expense of others.

However, there was no pattern of systematic fraud as claimed by Zanu PF. Even going by official documents it seems there were computation mistakes and probably mischievous manipulation for all the candidates by misguided electoral officers.

At Mashayapokuvaka polling in Goromonzi West retained by Zanu PF in the recount, Makoni’s votes were inflated by 127 ballots, Mugabe got 54 votes more than he deserved, while Tsvangirai was robbed of 189 votes.

Documents show that at Mzilikazi home craft centre ward 8 in Makokoba constituency in Bulawayo, Makoni got 254 votes more, while Tsvangirai lost 206 votes and Towungana was prejudiced of three votes.

Mugabe did not gain or lose anything.

In Chipinge West’s ward 4, Mugabe was robbed of 500 votes; 773 votes in Mutoko North; 498 votes in Chiredzi East and 136 in Glen Norah in Harare.

Tsvangirai suffered a massive loss in Mutoko North where he was prejudiced of 931 votes. His tally was not put on the V23 votes collation form.

All candidates got undeserved votes in Gokwe-Chireya although Mugabe was the major beneficiary with 1 020 extra votes, Tsvangirai 273, Makoni 22 and Towunga 6.

In some constituencies under recount,such as Lupane East, it is not even known who was prejudiced although Zanu PF suspects Mugabe was.

Their own documents have no detail to make a case on that but they demanded a recount.

However, authorities show in their documents the recounts would not change anything except the statistical errors that have no bearing on the results.

“Clearly, Zanu PF’s plan is not working at all,” a source said. “They hoped they would manipulate recounts but it’s very difficult given the levels of interest and supervision of the process.”

“They also failed to build a case to justify the delay in announcing results, especially the presidential election outcome, and in the process reverse the initial figures. Their plan has collapsed.”

Final results, including those of the presidential election, are expected to be announced over the weekend.

A run-off is expected to follow next month, placing Mugabe in exactly the same situation he sought to avoid via Constitutional Amendment (No.18), and leaving him staring defeat in the face.

Source: Zimbabwe Independent (Harare)

Rev. Kishoka

Unaweza kupitia hapa kuangalia yanayotokea Zimbabwe Kila kukicha. Hakuna uzushi hapo wala ugonjwa wa ngozi hicho ni kichapo.

Tanzania's ruling party has a long history of close ties to Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and is unlikely to criticise him.

Click to expand...

Release poll results by Saturday, SADC warns ZEC
Mail and Guardian

Mandy Rossouw and Jason Moyo said:

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Harare,
Zimbabwe

24 April 2008 04:25

The Southern African Development Community has warned Zimbabwe that it will accept no more excuses from the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) if it fails to release the results of the Zimbabwean presidential elections by Saturday. SADC sent its observer team back to Harare last week to observe the recount of the 23 disputed constituencies where Zanu-PF claims there were irregularities.

The ballots for the disputed constituencies in presidential, senatorial and parliamentary polls, which took place four weeks ago, are being recounted. Said a senior SADC observer who asked not to be named: “I don’t know why we are recounting -- it doesn’t make sense to us. We are expecting the recount to be done by Saturday, then it will be up to them to announce. But, really, there is no excuse any more.” Beyond Saturday the SADC would not accept claims that the release of results had been affected by logistical difficulties, the initial pretext, or by disputes, the reason given a week after polling.

And in another warning sign for President Robert Mugabe, Tanzanian President Jikaya Kikwete, also the chairperson of the African Union, has privately said he would be willing to explore the option of convening an African Union summit on the issue, civil society activists in Tanzania told the Mail & Guardian.

This would be a serious slap in the face for President Thabo Mbeki as it would signal that regional mediation efforts have failed. At a conference convened by the East African Law Society in Dar es Salaam, Mbeki was widely mocked by delegates as “Thabo ‘no crisis’ Mbeki”. Conference delegates said Kikwete had mooted the idea of an AU summit to his advisers. Civil society across Africa is looking to Kikwete -- who is known to be critical of Mugabe’s regime -- to take a more energetic stance on Zimbabwe after the SADC summit and statement reflecting Mbeki’s softly-softly approach. A post-conference communiqué, due to be handed to Kikwete in person, called for AU intervention to supercede the SADC’s efforts.

On Thursday South Africa’s official opposition called on the South African government to press for Zimbabwe’s expulsion from the AU and the imposition of travel sanctions on Zimbabweans government officials entering South Africa, in the manner of the European Union and the United States. It is understood SADC observers have picked up discrepancies during the recount, because some ballot books have gone missing.

Ballot papers were originally bound in a booklet resembling a cheque book, from which they were torn and given to voters to cast their votes. The stubs are used for verification. SADC sources said ballot boxes had been moved from locations where the ZEC had stored them to places such as shopping centres, where the counting was done. Party agents brought their own tallies of the original count.

Zimbabwean Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said anomalies noted during the recount had resulted in police arresting presiding officers suspected of malpractice. At one recounting centre three presiding officers had reportedly been arrested. The ZLHR complained that “recounting has been notoriously slow in an environment of increasing anxiety, violence and harassment of perceived supporters of the opposition, with alleged active involvement of senior members of the ruling party”. In further pressure on Zimbabwe’s increasingly besieged ruling party, ANC president Jacob Zuma has thrown his weight behind efforts to deal with the electoral impasse in Zimbabwe. He told Reuters during a visit to Europe this week that “leaders in Africa should really move in to unlock this logjam”.

Zuma accused the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission of destroying its own credibility by not releasing the results. MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai this week also broadened his campaign for regional support in the quest to break the impasse. Tsvangirai is in Ghana, where he met President John Kufuor. Last week, Tsvangirai asked the SADC to remove Mbeki as mediator in the Zimbabwean crisis. At least publicly, Zanu-PF is confident that the recount will overturn the opposition’s parliamentary majority. Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga said Zanu-PF is “not distracted” by the international controversy over the results delay and is preparing for a run-off. The MDC’s latest position is that it will contest the run-off on condition it is supervised by the SADC.

But many MDC leaders appear to be on the run. MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the party was setting up safe houses for activists fleeing violence in the countryside. The party’s headquarters in Harare has become a shelter for dozens of its supporters, who are sleeping in corridors
and in offices.

Click to expand...

Tunasubiri kura zihesabiwe hadi Mugabe ashinde.

Morgan won – secret police docs

CHIEF REPORTER said:

The Zimbabwean
HARARE
Friday, 25 April 2008 14:01

MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai actually garnered 51.7 percent in the first round of voting, with Robert Mugabe garnering 43.3 percent, according to
official Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) figures leaked from the Police General Headquarters (PGHQ). The figures on the leaked official ZEC tally show Simba Makoni with 4.9
percent and Langton Towungana with 0.1 percent.

The PGHQ figures give Tsvangirai a marginally higher tally than what the MDC parallel voter tabulation audit had revealed. The party had earlier said Tsvangirai had garnered 50,3 percent.
MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti however stated then that there had been an approximate three percent margin of error, which explains the small discrepancy, but which still vindicates the MDC position that Tsvangirai had won by an absolute majority.

But impeccable security sources said these official results would never see the light of day, and had already been “classified.” “There has been so much manipulation of figures and ballot boxes, were secretly stored at the old Reserve Bank Building before the ongoing recount
in 23 constituencies,” our source said. The recount has been called in a desperate bid to overturn the MDC’s parliamentary majority and underestimate Tsvangirai’s presidential poll
tally so that it is shy of the 50 percent needed to assume the presidency.

And with the run-off to take place, the jostling for power has already began. However, it all appears to be heading in one direction despite a determined State-sponsored onslaught on the electorate. All the opposition presidential candidates have publicly declared their support for Tsvangirai - and between them they garnered 5 percent of the vote, which will widen Tsvangirai’s lead. “People are asking for change, and it’s a good thing Makoni, Mutambara and the other guy have all said they will support Tsvangirai to complete the change they have began,” said political commentator Ronald Shumba.

“A snake isn’t quite dead until you cut off its head, so they have united to cut it off in the run-off. Mugabe is better advised to concede now and avoid a run-off because he is set for an embarrassing defeat.” Mugabe is increasingly becoming vulnerable as he is beginning to lose regional diplomatic support over the results hold up and his attempts to retain power through force. His erstwhile allies in SADC this week united in condemning him and barring a 70-ton arms shipment from docking at their ports, causing the ship to be recalled to China.

There is also pressure from SADC, whose chairman Levy Mwanawasa did not hide his impatience with Mugabe this week, as well as South African ruling party leader Jacob Zuma, who fired a broadside at the Mugabe regime, in stunning contrast to Mbeki’s impotent quiet diplomacy. The United States has also taken an active interest, dispatching its top Africa envoy Jendayi Frazer to neighbouring South Africa on Thursday for a round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at dealing firmly with Mugabe.

“I think for the first time at a very crucial moment, Mugabe is losing diplomatic support in the region and without that support his ability to survive politically is diminished,” said University of Zimbabwe political science professor, Eldred Masunungure.

Click to expand...

Mzee mzima ameumbuka kaiba we hadi arobaini (40) zake zimefika na Wazimbabwe wanamuangalia tu jinsi anavyoweweseka.

BLISTERING WOUNDS: An opposition supporter waiting for treatment for severe burns at a Harare clinic on Thursday. Civil rights groups in Zimbabwe say security forces and party thugs loyal to President Mugabe have unleashed a campaign of violence against opposition supporters after the disputed elections on March 29.

PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS

Wengine wamesema huu ni ugomjwa wa ngozi ambao umeanza kuonekana tu baada ya uchaguzi sijui ulikuwa umejificha wapi?