Blogging Elections

Four weeks to the day after Zimbabwe queued to vote in the 29 March 2008 elections, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have finally confirmed their original results, and that was that Zanu PF has lost its majority in the House of Assembly for the first time in 28 years. Prior to the recount, ZEC announced that [...]

This was released yesterday, 25 April 2008. We are reproducing it here in full: Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights Statement concerning ongoing cases of organised violence and torture, and of intimidation of medical personnel, from April 22nd to April 24th 2008 dated April 25th 2008 The number of victims of organised violence and torture presenting to members [...]

Via SKY at this link here. These are some of the injured. An MDC spokesman said 300 people were removed, including all the staff. A statement said: “These armed police have taken hundreds of people that were now staying at the party headquarters running away from the different parts of Zimbabwe, where the regime has been unleashing [...]

In open defiance of the ruling of a tribunal of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the government of Zimbabwe has tacitly given the green light to a new wave of terrorism against the opposition forces and have included the few remaining white farmers in the country. All part of a campaign of violence [...]

Is this a sign that Zanu PF are recognising they cannot simply steal the elections and get away with it? The state controlled Herald (aka The Horrid) has an article today which proposes a government of National Unity lead by Robert Mugabe and outlines what they (read Zanu PF because The Herald is their mouthpiece) want [...]

This man, above, is from UMP, 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 UMP area. He was tied to his hut door by militia and [...]

This has been added to our action post as an update, but the news is alarming enough to warrant its own post: Just reported on news24.com: According to Beeld’s sources, the meeting took place because the generals apparently were worried that any further delays would run the delivery of the really big guns [...]

This relates to our action post (at this link), where we are collating efforts and ideas to stop the An Yue Jiang from delivering Chinese weapons to Zimbabwe. Feel free to copy and paste the text below to send emails to Portuguese speaking recipients. We’ve kept the wording non-specific so you can use it for [...]

Journalists will be especially interested in this. The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) have released a very useful report today - recommended reading for all interested in the counting, re-counting and rigging of the Zimbabwean elections. The 15 page report is titled ‘The Inconvenient Truth: A complete guide to the delay in releasing the [...]

These images of a tortured 38 year old man were taken yesterday in Harare. They were sent to us by email with this message attached: 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 [...]

The location of the An Yue Jiang is leaving me very confused. Initially it was heading for Mozambique, then all reports suggested Luanda. But The Times in South Africa have now suggested that the ship is unlikely to have enough fuel to reach Luanda, so may be forced to pull into another port en route [...]

Word via the grapevine is that MDC will be holding a press conference today in Johannesburg, South Africa. It looks like the announcement of the press conference is being circulated by sms. Heads up to journalists, the sms we’ve received says it will be held at the Devonshire Hotel at 12 noon. We’ve no idea what it’s [...]

What is imperative is for all opposition parties to close ranks and make the wishes of the Zimbabwean electorate a reality. In any run-off or re-run of the Presidential Election the support for Morgan Tsvangirai should be total and unconditional. There will be neither equivocation nor ambiguity [...]

It seems that despite the fantastic news that Satawu workers are refusing to offload or transport Mugabe’s consignment of Chinese weapons, the South African government has been unbending in its stance. The Times (UK) reports that, January Masilela, the South African Defence Secretary, said yesterday that the shipment had been approved this week by the [...]

It is Zimbabwe’s Independence Day today, but rather than living in a state of freedom and independence, Zimbabweans are trapped in an interregnum. These elections are different from all the previous elections that have been rigged by Mugabe because we know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that we have proof we have won. We also [...]

This has just been mailed to our subscribers. To my fellow Zimbabweans I cannot speak to you on the national media, but I speak to you from my heart - that freedom comes and your voice and your vote shall be heard. Morgan Tsvangirai, 17 April 2008 Statement made by President Morgan Tsvangirai: 17 April 2008 Today [...]

In the Thursday edition of The Zimbabwean there were revelations that, “Militant supporters of President Robert have set up torture camps in parts of Mashonaland East province and stepped up a terror campaign against opposition activists in the province”. The reason for their deployment is to ensure a victory for Mugabe in their planned [...]

We are receiving reports of MDC activists being arrested in Bulawayo today. Nonsensical charges are being laid against them. The purpose seems to be to do nothing more than harrass and intimidate and try and scare them. We have been told that efforts are being made to get them released. The news we’re hearing is [...]

I danced when I read this. Via The Times (South Africa): SA Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) general secretary Randall Howard said: “Satawu does not agree with the position of the South African government not to intervene with this shipment of weapons. “Our members employed at Durban Container Terminal will not unload this cargo neither will [...]

Apparently top dog public relations officers are required to deal with all the attention the arms shipment destined for Zimbabwe is causing in South Africa. Good. I hope it continues until the shipment is stopped. I do not know how Thabo Mbeki can ever function as a ‘point man’ on the Zimbabwean crisis if he [...]