Monitors warn on Election delay

From the BBC:

..."We have won this election," said the secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Tendai Biti. "This trend is irreversible."

The party had won most parliamentary seats in Harare and Bulawayo and was also ahead in some rural areas, including Mr Mugabe's home province of Mashonaland West, he said.

BBC Southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says the MDC's claims are based on partial, unofficial results.

The more slowly-counted votes from the rural areas, where President Mugabe has always had majority support, may decide the final outcome.

BBC contributors say opposition activists have been celebrating in the towns of Bulawayo, Mutare and Masvingo.

HAVE YOUR SAY

The elections will no doubt be free and fair. The allegations being peddled are unfounded

Sosten Musiniwa, Harare

Send us your comments

A spokesman for Mr Makoni told the BBC News website that the MDC had "swept the board" in the parliamentary election, with several ministers losing their seats.

But Zimbabwe's chief elections officer expressed concern "that some stakeholders have gone on to announce purported results... when in fact the results are being verified and collated".

The MDC says the commission was appointed by Mr Mugabe and is not to be trusted...

Zim opposition claim election lead

From the UKGuardian:

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zimbabwe's main opposition party claimed an early lead Sunday in elections, seeking to thwart any possible vote rigging by President Robert Mugabe amid silence from the Electoral Commission and the deployment of security forces.

Earlier people celebrated in the streets, dancing, singing and giving each other the openhanded wave that is the opposition party's symbol.

But by sundown, as frustrations grew more than 24 hours after polls closed, riot police and other security forces were patrolling the capital's densely populated suburbs, according to independent election monitors....

Security and government officials loyal to Mugabe have warned Tsvangirai against declaring a victory. ``It is called a coup d'etat and we all know how coups are handled,'' chief presidential spokesman George Charamba was quoted as saying in the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper.

Two officials of the ruling party said Mugabe was consulting with his security chiefs Sunday night amid fears of how they might react to any news of his defeat. The chiefs all have said they would serve only Mugabe. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Western diplomats, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for that same reason, reported that many younger army officers showed open defiance of orders that they had to vote for Mugabe...

Riot Police patrol Zim streets

From Reuters:

[-] Text [+]

HARARE, March 30 (Reuters) - Riot police patrolled the streets of Zimbabwe's capital on Sunday night and residents were told to stay indoors as a long delay in issuing election results fuelled suspicions that President Robert Mugabe's government was trying to rig the result.

Reuters journalists saw patrols of riot police patrols in central Harare. Some residents said police, who were moving in groups of at least six, were also patrolling in low income townships.

"They are here and we have been told to stay in doors," a resident in the eastern suburb of Tafara said. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe)

Will Military prevent Tsvangirai victory?

From SWRadioAfrica:

The MDC US Representatives are reliably informed that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) will, within the next 2-4 hours declare Robert Mugabe the victor of Zimbabwe's Presidential election. The military brass in Zimbabwe met earlier today and decided to instruct the ZEC to declare Mugabe the winner. This is being done despite results showing that the opposition Movement for Democratic Change has won a great majority of the parliamentary seats and its Presidential candidate is ahead in the already counted votes by about 68%.

The ZEC was given 2-4 hours to allow the military to deploy in all the major urban areas to crush any potential revolt by Zimbabweans. We, the MDC representatives in the US are awaiting further developments on this issue but we call upon the State Department, National Security Council, US Senators and Congresspersons to warn Mugabe and his military against subverting the will of the voters of Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans have overwhelmingly decided to elect new leaders to rebuild their ravaged country and Mugabe seems determined to stop that. The international community must not allow this to happen. We urge you to make it plain to countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that they must not allow Mugabe to do this to his people and country. The consequences of his actions will be felt throughout the entire region, not just in Zimbabwe. The will of Zimbabwe's voters must be respected.
We will be very happy to respond to any inquiries that you might have on this matter.

Handel Mlilo, Chief Representative Ralph Black, Deputy
Chief Representative
240-505-0179

General overview of vote counting

From SWRadioAfrica:

The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition office set up a command centre to monitor the election environment at polling stations around the country before, during and after the elections and has been passing this information on.

Thabani Moyo, spokesperson for the organisation, spoke about some incidents that had been noted by his organisation over this crucial voting period - in Bikita Maddock Chivasa from the National Constitutional Assembly and 5 of his colleagues were arrested by the police; in Chipinge ZEC officials had deleted the names of MDC polling agents; in Masvingo polling agents were forced to flee from the polling station because of police beatings; in Nkayi ZEC officials were issuing voters with the old V11 voting forms and ZANU-PF polling agents had threatened MDC polling agents in Chitungwiza. Armed police officers in Beitbridge were intimidating voters....

In Masvingo, it’s reported that voting proceeded with no major incidents marring the process. We spoke to someone who visited several polling stations in the district and reported that in one polling station he noted that Morgan Tsvangirai led the Parliamentary elections with 483 votes, and Mugabe receiving only 81 votes....

Delay in announcing official results

From SWRadioAfrica:

A delay by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in announcing official election results has triggered fears Mugabe’s government is planning to tamper with the final result.

Previous election results have been announced as they come in but for some unknown reason the ZEC claim they still need time to ‘verify and collate’ the results. Journalists on the ground say there was massive voter apathy in the rural areas and because of this there was no justification for the ZEC to claim they need more time to count.

Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba issued a warning to the MDC saying their unofficial announcing of results amounted to a coup d’etat.

Confusion was the order of the day as Zimbabweans grappled between emotions of happiness and anxiety. Happy that Zanu PF and Mugabe seem to have lost the election, but worried the delay in an official announcement means the regime might be trying to cook the results....

Mugabe faces apparant defeat

from LATimes:
HARARE, ZIMBABWE -- The main opposition party and independent observers said today that President Robert Mugabe was suffering a resounding defeat as election results were tallied, but no official returns were released and capital was rife with speculation that they were being rigged.

Tension was high in the capital, Harare, with police deployed on most corners as the delay in announcing results from Saturday's balloting wore on. Usually, the first official results are released within hours of the polls' closing.

There were unconfirmed reports that key ministers and Mugabe loyalists lost their seats in parliament.

In a briefing to diplomats, independent election observers said that with 66% of the vote counted, the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, had 55% of the vote. Mugabe, 84, had 36% and ruling party defector Simba Makoni had 9%, it said.

Tsvangirai's party said that with 12% of the polling stations reporting, he was winning 67%.

The estimate was based on figures posted at individual polling stations after election officials had signed off on them, the first time such counts have been posted under recent reforms to election law.

"The wave of change was too strong," said one shocked official of the ruling ZANU-PF, who lost his seat. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

He said conditions were extremely tense, with speculation rife in the ruling party that the military might step in to back Mugabe and block the opposition from taking power...

Morgan Tsvangirai interview 3-48-08

Another Al Jezeerah you tube.

Sir David is joined by Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, to discuss Zimbabwe's forthcoming election. He says that while the elections may not be free and fair, he is optimistic of success.

The Book Cafe etc.

Part one of the report...from AlJazeerah TV on YouTube

Harare culture: Book Cafe

Al Jazeera has a story about the cultural life in Harare, and about a Book Cafe...

For over 20 years Harare was known not only as a cultural city, but also as a friendly and unpretentious place.

In recent years the mood has changed drastically in the city and the exuberance of the 1980s and the stoic optimism of the 1990s have been replaced with quiet despair.

The effect of chronic hyperinflation in Zimbabwe is that life has become extremely unpredictable - prices can double overnight with no warning, which often makes it impossible for people plan their lives even a week in advance.

The stress is clearly visible everywhere and most people have little time for luxuries such as culture and self-expression.

People & Power

Watch six nights at the Book Cafe

But the role of the arts in the city is as crucial as ever and because the only radio and TV broadcaster in the country is state-owned ZTV, live performances play a crucial role in getting alternative voices heard.

Harare has always had a huge appetite for live music, and even in the most difficult times you can still find a band 7 nights a week.

But with the power cuts and beer shortages venue after venue is shutting down. The ones that survive often feature escapist light entertainment. Such escapism is popular given the daily hardships many Zimbabweans are forced to endure....

PROGRAMMES PEOPLE AND POWER

There are no main images.

Harare's open cafe culture

Live music has long been a key part of life in Harare Elections in Zimbabwe on March 29 are once again expected to be won by the country's long-term president, Robert Mugabe who is accused by his critics of suppressing any opposition and limiting free speech. However, filmmaker Eugene Ulman visited the capital Harare and found one cafe locals say serves as an oasis of truly open expression. Following independence in 1980, the Zimbabwean capital Harare began to emerge as an urban hub for central and southern Africa. It had a film industry, theatres, art galleries, restaurants and even a stock exchange, with a busy calendar of annual arts events like the film festival, the international arts festival, the jazz festival and the book fair. For over 20 years Harare was known not only as a cultural city, but also as a friendly and unpretentious place. In recent years the mood has changed drastically in the city and the exuberance of the 1980s and the stoic optimism of the 1990s have been replaced with quiet despair. The effect of chronic hyperinflation in Zimbabwe is that life has become extremely unpredictable - prices can double overnight with no warning, which often makes it impossible for people plan their lives even a week in advance. The stress is clearly visible everywhere and most people have little time for luxuries such as culture and self-expression. People & Power Watch six nights at the Book Cafe But the role of the arts in the city is as crucial as ever and because the only radio and TV broadcaster in the country is state-owned ZTV, live performances play a crucial role in getting alternative voices heard. Harare has always had a huge appetite for live music, and even in the most difficult times you can still find a band 7 nights a week. But with the power cuts and beer shortages venue after venue is shutting down. The ones that survive often feature escapist light entertainment. Such escapism is popular given the daily hardships many Zimbabweans are forced to endure. Alternative centre The issue of freedom in Zimbabwe is often confusing, especially for an outsider. Television and radio naturally present a government's perspective on things, but there are private newspapers in Zimbabwe which openly and explicitly criticise the country's leadership. Political discussions and debates can often be very free and open but there is an intense paranoia when it comes to any kind of cameras, photography or video. It is almost impossible to film any images in public without being approached by plainclothes officers. But one venue is different - a simple looking place called the Book Cafe upstairs at the Fife Avenue shopping centre in Inner-City Harare. Since it opened a decade ago, the Book Cafe has developed into the epicentre of Harare's alternative culture and six nights a week the venue attracts a diverse and unpredictable audience of young artists, students, government workers, lawyers, doctors, bankers, businesspeople, street kids and diplomats. Paul Brickhill says the cafe has no official political slant The events might involve music, poetry, theatre, comedy, discussions or competitions - but they have one thing in common in that there is strictly no censorship. "Its not that as though it has a political slant, it's just that it is open, you can say what you want," Paul Brickhill, the cafe's founder, says. His son Tomas, a musician, explains that the point of the cafe is not just that you can criticise the government when performing but also speak in favour of it. "Either way no one's going to beat you up when get outside," he says. "Well, most of the time at least." The Book Cafe began its life as a bookshop called Grassroots Books, founded by Paul in the early years of independence. Before then, any remotely left-wing books - including most African writing - was banned and the mission of the new shop was to make progressive books available to ordinary Zimbabweans. 'Diverse mix' "Literally people streamed in and we sold every book we had in stock," Paul recalls. "I specifically remember a truckload of military guys in their fatigues queuing outside because they had heard there were progressive books there." He says from the very start the cafe became a meeting point for people from across Zimbabwe's racially mixed social spectrum. "You would see someone you knew was a white farmer talking to a black radical gender activist and wonder what that conversation could be about." Samm Farai Monro, a white performance poet better known as Comrade Fatso claims "there is nowhere in the country with such a diverse mix of people". Mashasha, a black musician, was apprehensive that he would fit in when he first performed at the cafe. "But to my surprise it was a different atmosphere when I got there," he says. "It is hard to see class - it is just people enjoying what they are doing." "There is a saying in Zimbabwe: 'Freedom of expression but no freedom after expression'" Comrade Fatso, poet "Maybe after, when one starts to walk home and someone else jumps in their posh car - that is the only time you might see class." However given such an atmosphere it was only a matter of time before the Book Cafe attracted the attention of the Zimbabwean secret police, the CIO. Most of the time performances at the Book Cafe go unhindered, but there are exceptions. Victor Mavedzenge, a painter, poet and one of Zimbabwe's most popular comedians first came to the Book Cafe eight years ago, to perform his poems at the regular Monday open mic night. During a recent performance, Victor, his comedy partner and the person filming their show were all arrested. Blacklist fear "After the show we had about seven guys come backstage and say 'we are going to have to ask you to come to the central police station,'" he says. "They said that someone had called them to say we were saying something subversive about the government." But ultimately what scares the musicians more than the threat of arrest or harassment, is the possibility that they might not be able to make a living if they get blacklisted from relatively well-paid government-funded work. "That's the joke in Zimbabwe, you've got freedom of expression but you don't have freedom after expression," Comrade Fatso says. But for artists, whichever aspect of daily life they might want to touch on, it is hard to avoid stepping out of line....

Vote counting begins

From the BBC:

...Across the country, there were reports of voters not being allowed to cast ballots - either because their names were not on the voters' roll or because they were trying to vote in the wrong ward.

One UK resident said his sister was "disappointed and distressed" to be turned away "even though when she checked a couple of weeks ago she was on the [register]".

Others found the system fair and efficient. Sandra, 23, told the BBC by phone from Bulawayo: "There is a long queue behind me but it is moving. People around me are quiet and are waiting patiently to cast their vote." ...

BBC PHOTO-->

Veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is challenging Robert Mugabe again.

Tension in Bulawayo

From SWRADIOAFRICA:

Residents in several suburbs in the city of Bulawayo report that the atmosphere is tense after 4 military trucks full of armed soldiers and water cannons patrolled the streets on Thursday.

Our Bulawayo correspondent Zenzele said this convoy drove slowly thorough the western suburbs, including areas in Pelandaba, Njube and Mupopoma....

Hope and fear in Zim vote

from the NYTimes

...

Voters will go to the polls Saturday, with President Robert Mugabe, the iconic leader of a nation enduring catastrophic hardship, trying to retain the power he has held for 28 years....

“Even if Mugabe only gets one vote, the tabulated results are in the box and he has won,” said Andrew Moyse, who coordinates a project that monitors coverage in the Zimbabwe news media.

Echoing that sentiment, Noel Kututwa, the chairman of a coalition of civic groups dedicated to honest elections, said: “We will not have a free and fair election. There is desperation for change. But, in the end, I can’t say that Mugabe won’t win, because he probably will.”

... The state controls radio, television and the only daily newspaper. The reporting of events is reliably biased toward Mr. Mugabe, extolling his courage and generosity while depicting his opponents as little more than footmen for the British, Zimbabwe’s former colonial masters.

In a country suffering rampant hunger, the government bolsters its standing by distributing subsidized food, routinely favoring, critics allege, members of Mr. Mugabe’s party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. In a country enduring epic inflation of more than 100,000 percent, the campaigning president has been able to bestow tractors and plows on village chiefs whose gratitude is expected to be a reciprocal harvest of votes....

Then there are the brass tacks of the election. Groups like Mr. Kututwa’s complain about an election commission dominated by Mr. Mugabe’s cronies, rules that bar people from registering in cities where the president is less popular, a paucity of polling stations in those locations; and long outdated voting rolls that in the past have been accused of permitting guileful ZANU-PF advocates to cast ballots for the dead.

“There are many tricks to play; the illiterate stand in separate queues and we mark the votes for them,” said Gift Mukumir.... “Last time, our people were bused from Mutoko and allowed to vote a second time in Epworth.”...

the Movement for Democratic Change, allege that nine million ballots have been printed, even though there are only 5.9 million voters. They suggest the surplus will end up marked for Mr. Mugabe....

bread is 10million Zdollars

CSmonitor article...go to link...my internet link is lousy and won't post.

Mugabe can still steal election

From UKTimes

...Zimbabwe from the townships of Bulawayo to rural areas in Mugabe’s home province of Mashonaland West and businessmen’s haunts in Harare, I found that every person I spoke to was demanding change. Not one wanted the 84-year-old Mugabe to stay on after 27 years in power....

Mugabe may have produced an entire nation of millionaires but, with Z$1m now worth just a penny, he looks set for a crushing defeat. Not only is he facing a third challenge from Morgan Tsvangirai, the popular leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), but last month his former ally Simba Makoni joined the race, splitting the ruling Zanu-PF.

“The mood is such, there’s no way Mugabe can win legitimately,” said Tsvangirai. “How can he with 90% unemployment, his record of beating people and demolishing their houses, and when he’s an 84-year-old who wants to govern till he’s 90?”

Reports from human rights activists have predicted a flawed outcome in the country’s first simultaneous polls for president, parliament and councils.

Among the concerns cited are boundary changes, irregularities in registration, political intimidation and violence, lack of access to state-controlled media and partisan security officials....

Tererai presents a speech by Nkosana Moyo, business leader and the campaign manager for Simba Makoni. Moyo was at the School Of African And Oriental Studies in London this past weekend, where he addressed Zimbabweans in the UK about Makoni’s decision to run for president. Moyo also talked about the important role that Zimbabweans in the diaspora can play in the future of their country. The event was organized by the Zimbabwe Diaspora Forum and was the first in a series they are planning for the future.
LINK MP3

from an email TrustSibanda

Zuma interview

video discusses Mbeki's failure to stop the collapse of Zim and the growing inequality in South Africa...

From the emails.

I've been getting behind in my posts for various reasons but here are a few "headsup" I am getting in my emails.
-----

As things stand for now everything are pointing to a favour for MDC Tsvangirai's candidates.The Presidential will go to the wire and a re-run will give us the result.The coming in of Simba has given the re-run a platform and to me it is good news that Simba is there.

The information I am getting from the young and old is that lets all be there at polling stations before 3 am on the 29 March 2008.

An old mbuya in Masvingo was asked why she had come to attend President Mugabe's rally and this is what she had to say:

"mwanangu ndanga ndauya kuti ndizwe kuti vakuru vedu vanotii nematambudziko atiwandira asi hapana chavataura chine musoro asikungoti mabiritishi,Tsvangirai,Simba chete chete.Nhamo yendu kana kumboibata havo kana, zvino voti nyika yakauya neropa ini ndoti ko isu tine vana vakafira musango totichii,ko iye ropa rake riripapi panyika ino".

I pray that everything will be watched over by Almighty God.

Bongwi The Great (20 March 2008)
------

To Zim Security forces

From African Path Newsletter:

DR LOVEMORE MADHUKU

"...We are days away from another election. The hope and expectation of every Zimbabwean is that this election will herald the beginning of a life of dignity and quality. The political elite is hopeful that YOU will protect their positions and maintain the status quo. The people of Zimbabwe are hopeful that YOU will support their yearning for change.

You have heard your commanders declare that they would not support and salute anyone other than the current president. But it is this President and his elite that have made the lives of you, your family and all of us, a daily misery. The security establishment holds the key to what a post election Zimbabwe will look like, and whether reconstruction and development will take hold. You are recognized as a key force in Zimbabwe that holds the balance of power. It is YOU that can ensure an environment that is conducive for the reconstruction of Zimbabwe.

You hold an extreme amount of power. Power that can be abused and manipulated, as has been done in the past, to hurt, intimidate and further subjugate the ordinary people of our country. As sons and daughters of Zimbabwe, who hold a position of strength and power, we call on you:

ACT RESPONSIBILY and HONOURABLY

DEFEND YOUR PEOPLE, NOT THE POLITICAL ELITE,

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE.

It is not too late to refuse to be used as pawns by those who hold no allegiance to you and your families and whose only interest is in their own personal greed and ambition....

go to link for complete post.

Zim facing vote rigging claims

From Al Jazeerah:
...

"In all the 28 rural constituencies ... independent analysts have done, there are 90,000 unaccounted voters," Tsvangirai said.

"You can imagine [that] with 210 constituencies what is the figure of the people that have been identified as registered but do not exist."...

Mugabe: Police can help voters

From News24:

Mugabe amends electoral laws

Harare - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has amended electoral laws to allow policemen into polling stations later this month to "assist" illiterate people to vote, state radio said on Tuesday.....

"Section 59 of the act has also been amended and will allow two electoral officers and a police officer on duty to assist semi- literate voters," the radio quoted part of the presidential proclamation as saying.

Voters who are "physically incapacitated" will also be assisted to vote by two electoral officials and a policeman, the report said. The radio did not say why the laws had been changed. ...

Zim poll head to head

from the BBC:

Wilf Mbanga: We know for a fact that people around Mugabe are in panic mode.

The army chief has warned Zimbabweans that if they voted for anyone other than Robert Mugabe they would stage a coup and the chief of prisons a couple of weeks ago told his staff to vote for Robert Mugabe and nobody else.

Will the army intervene in the election?

Mugabe himself is saying he will walk it, he will win by a landslide. I don't know where he gets that from because the economy has collapsed, services have collapsed. I don't know why anyone would vote for a continuation of the suffering we have in our country.

What will happen is that Mugabe will stuff the ballot boxes, he will rig the election.

That's the only way he can win. For example, soldiers and Zimbabwean diplomats around the world vote in private - there are no international or local observers in place - this allows them to rig the elections, as their votes are added to votes from their constituencies.

If you look at the polling stations, Harare, for example, has 733,000 voters and they have only been give just over 300 polling stations. This means voters have to vote four times in less than 12 seconds. This is impossible.

Whereas, for example if you look at Mashonaland Central, which is seen as a Mugabe stronghold, they have 500,000 voters and over 1,200 polling stations.....

Business under fire for Makoni links

from iwpr:

By Nonthando Bhebhe in Harare (AR No. 160, 14-Mar-08)

The Zimbabwean authorities are cracking down on businesses they suspect of backing Simba Makoni, the former finance minister who has emerged as a serious challenger to President Robert Mugabe in this month’s elections.

The crackdown is seen as a sign of how seriously Mugabe and his allies in the ruling ZANU-PF party take the newcomer. Last month, Makoni shocked the party – of which he was a member – by announcing he would stand against the incumbent. He was summarily kicked out of the party and pilloried in speeches by the president.

In the latest example of the regime’s determination to keep itself in power, IWPR has learned that retailers and other top businesspeople who supply basic commodities were summoned to a meeting on February 4 at the offices of Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono....

Army chief warns of coup if "sell outs" win

From the Nation (Nairobi) via all Africa:

The commander of Zimbabwe's army, General Constantine Chiwenga has warned that he will overturn the constitutional order if Robert Mugabe loses to "sell outs and agents of the West."

"Elections are coming and the army will not support or salute sell-outs and agents of the West before, during and after the presidential elections," Gen Chiwenga told Zimbabwe Standard, a privately owned newspaper.

"We will not support anyone other than President Mugabe who has sacrificed a lot for this country."

Meanwhile, the European Union raised concerns today about the fairness of elections set for March 29, noting that European observers had not been invited to monitor the vote, adds Reuters
....

Mugabe signs nationalization law

From AlJazeerah:

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, has approved a legislation that will grant Zimbabweans a majority stake in public-owned businesses, according to a state-run newspaper.

Mining and business industry officials have warned the law could quicken the decline of Zimbabwe's economy, which has shrunk by at least 30 per cent since 1999....

The government says the bill is part of its drive to empower the country's poor majority, but the MDC complains that it will enrich a few powerful individuals while winning votes in the March 29 elections.

The government has sought to allay business fears of a blanket seizure of companies by saying authorities would work with businesses to set timetables for foreign-owned firms to transfer shares to locals.

Loans will be provided to Zimbabweans intending to acquire shares, start businesses or expand existing ventures.

But analysts say the move could further harm an economy that has already suffered because of foreign investor flight and an inflation rate of more than 100,000 per cent.

Western observers banned from Zim elections

From AFP:

HARARE (AFP) — EU member states and the United States have been excluded from a list of observers who will be invited to monitor the March 29 general elections in Zimbabwe, the government announced Friday.

Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said a number of regional bodies such as the African Union would be asked to oversee the joint presidential and parliamentary elections on March 29.

So too would representatives from allies of President Robert Mugabe's regime such as China, Iran and Venezuela.

However, the only European country which had been invited to send monitors was Russia, while the Commonwealth was also left off the invitation list.

"Clearly, those who believe that the only free and fair election is where the opposition wins, have been excluded since the ruling party, ZANU-PF, is poised to score yet another triumph," Mumbengegwi was quoted in the state-run Herald newspaper as telling a gathering of diplomats.....

African leaders as the problem?

from the African executive:

"....Zimbabwe’s case is no exception to the idea that we are underdeveloped because of the colonial past...

In Zimbabwe there is a diametrically opposite understanding between the two sides of the same coin: the colonial leadership and the post colonial leadership.

The latter subscribes to the societal value that they needed to develop a racial apartheid exclusively enjoyed by their own people (kith and Kin) centred on acceding to economic freedom and the sanctity of property rights as much as they valued human quality of existence minus the black majority.

Our dear leadership in the postcolonial state views themselves as mere victims than authors of their history, giving birth to an economic rights movement, which is just a euphemism for anarchism. This anarchist economic philosophy has undermined African potential of the people in much of modern day postcolonial Zimbabwe...

A microscopic view of Zimbabwean specimen will reflect the causal link between the annihilation of property rights and the economic decadence. The leadership never ceases to further the path of anarchism buried deep in the economic rights movement. The announcement by the Ministry of Industry and International Trade that it has appointed a board for the Zimbabwe Development Corporation (ZDC) tasked with establishing ‘peoples shops’ and administering companies seized from purported saboteurs of the economy is in its own right a failed policy. It is irrational for government to take up management functions of the economy because it has never been a good entrepreneur. State management of seized companies is just a euphemism for a criminal state....

Police arresting MDC supporters

From SWRadioAfrica

The MDC formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai have reported that police continue to arrest their candidates and supporters as they peacefully campaign around the country. MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said the police are coming up with trumped up charges in order to keep them in detention. He believes they are trying to curtail their campaign activities by intimidation.

The latest arrest took place in Bulawayo on Monday. According to Chamisa police arrested Tabitha Khumalo, a party official and parliamentary candidate, while she was meeting voters door to door. It is not clear why, but Khumalo was released around midnight.

Meanwhile the MDC candidate for St. Mary’s, Marvellous Kumalo, plus 12 MDC supporters, are in police custody. Chamisa said they were arrested on Sunday while distributing posters. The police allege that they were carrying prohibited weapons and are charging them with inciting public violence. Chamisa said there was no violence at any time and they had no weapons. The group was remanded in custody till March 18th.

Chamisa said there have been other arrests of candidates and supporters around the country under similar circumstances.///

The Hidden Hearts of Zimabwe

From Aid to the church at need:

One such hidden heroine is Barbara Makalisa. Her own five children have already all died; now she is caring for over 30 grandchildren. But despite this heavy burden, the smile scarcely ever leaves her face and she is never heard to complain. She says, "God has given me my children and has taken them back to himself. But since He has given me enough strength, I can now care for others instead." And indeed she even finds the strength to care for people who do not belong to her family. Nobody leaves her without also having been helped by her, and within the parish they can likewise count upon her silent but steady support. Father Martin Schupp, the apostolic administrator for the Archdiocese of Bulawayo, knows Mrs Makalisa and many other women just like her. He says, "These people grow to a new stature. Their Faith, their personal encounter with Christ is what gives them this strength. Such people can be an example for us." Another priest adds, "The nation should give the highest honour to these grandparents who have opened up their houses unhesitatingly to the children."

Even in wealthier countries it is far from easy to feed a large number of children. But in Zimbabwe, where the shelves in the local shops have been empty for months, it is a heart-stopping undertaking that demands great trust in God. Even in the better provided supermarkets there is nothing left but a handful of dried caterpillars and -- at astronomical prices -- Coca-Cola for the few who can afford such a luxury. In the other shops there is absolutely nothing. Milk powder is unaffordable for most people, and as for fresh milk and bread, these have long since ceased to be available. The average wage is now around three US dollars a month - for those who who can find work - and unemployment now stands at around 80%. Galloping inflation of 100,000% and an HIV/AIDS rate of 30% only add to the misery. ...

UNICEF campaign against child rape

UN News service on AllAfrica:

The Zimbabwean Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the National Faith Based Council of Zimbabwe, and UNICEF yesterday launched their Stand Up and Speak Out campaign against child abuse, aiming to reach more than six million of the African country's citizens.

"The Stand Up and Speak Out information campaign will confront all types of abuse of children - sexual, physical, neglect and verbal," UNICEF's Representative in Zimbabwe, Festo Kavishe, said.
Official police figures show that there were 2192 reported "rape cases involving children 16 years and below" in 2003. In 2006 this jumped to 3112, an increase of 42 per cent.