GENERAL STRIKE:
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has today called for a general strike in Zimbabwe starting tomorrow (Tuesday, 15 April 2008) after the high court refused to order the immediate release of the presidential election results. Take Action!

These photographs of reprisal attacks by Zanu PF thugs were taken yesterday.

The photograph on the left is of a 22 year old male from Musaruro Village, Mudzi. This is what he said what happened to him: "The ZPF youth came to my shop on Friday 11 April 2008 at 9pm, broke the door down and dragged me out of the building. They said “you are an MDC member”. They took all the groceries from my shop then burned grass on both my hands. After that they beat my hands and back with wooden poles. I went to Kotwa rural district hospital and they gave me 2 paracetamol - they had nothing else.”

The photo on the right is of a 22 year old male from Chibamo Village, Mudzi south. He stated: "15 or so ZPF youth came to my house on Friday 11 April 2008 and started to hit me with fire wood and kick me in the mouth. They beat me on my buttocks, left arm and hand. The perpetrators are known to me (names recorded). They said “why are you supporting MDC, we promise you we are here to vandalise you”.

TAKE ACTION

We have been waiting for word from our elected leaders on the way forward after the farcical way in which the Presidential results have been withheld from public knowledge by the Zimbabwe Electroal Commission (ZEC).

The word has come and we need to stand by and do what we can to ensure justice and democracy are delivered to Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans.

Please support the call for a General Strike. We elected Morgan Tsvangirai to be our President; let's RESPOND POSITIVELY to his call.

• Do not come to work tomorrow (April 15th).
• Stay peacefully at home.
• Phone everyone you know NOW and spread the word.
• Ask them to start phoning and spreading the word too.
• Encourage those who are fearful or unsure that there comes a time when people need to stand together, strong and proud and peaceful, for what we believe in as a nation.
• Don't forget: we have won. The only reason why ZEC is delaying is because the results showed that the opposition leader, Robert Mugabe, lost the elections
• Be peaceful, be proud and be strong

Sky News have been broadcasting evidence today that shows that Morgan Tsvangirai won the Presidential election. The reporter says: "The significance of this paper work is that although it belongs to the MDC, it comes from the polling stations. To all intents and purposes these are the verified results." The world has seen this with their own eyes, and now knows what we know to be true.

BACKGROUND TO THE STRIKE ACTION

MDC confirms national strike as tensions rise in the suburbs
published on ZimbabweJournalists.com

HARARE - The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has confirmed its calls for an indefinite general strike starting Tuesday following the High Court's rejection of an MDC petition to order the immediate release of results of the presidential election, which the party believes was won by their leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

No presidential results have yet emerged from the harmonised March 29 election, effectively believed by many to have been poised to signal President Robert Mugabe's demise after 28 years at the helm. The Zimbabwe Election Commission, ZEC, has instead announced it will be going ahead with a partial recount of votes in 23 constituencies being contested by the ruling Zanu PF.

The MDC said yesterday the continuing delay in making public the results of the ballot held more than two weeks ago, and the breathing space given to Mugabe by a failed weekend summit of regional leaders, was permitting the regime to widen its campaign of violent intimidation in rural areas.

"We are calling on the public to speak against ZEC for failing to release the results," the MDC's deputy president Thokhozani Khupe told a news conference.

"We have called for a mass stay-in, starting tomorrow, until the results are released."

Khupe spoke soon after Justice Tendai Uchena turned down a petition by the MDC urging the electoral commission to end its silence over the March 29 election presidential election.

Khupe said that it had now been proved that voting on its own was not enough to bring about a regime change and accused President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party of trying to use the delay since the elections to fix the result.

"We are receiving information that the ballot boxes are being kept by Zanu PF, that they have been stuffing more ballot papers," she said.

"What we want is for ZEC to announce the results. We hope every Zimbabwean takes it upon themselves to speak out and be heard. Voting alone was not enough. We want our results, the time has come."

In the high density areas of Harare, the mood on the streets was volatile. In Highfields this reporter spoke with many opposition supporters who threatened to turn violent against any commuter buses that may try to ferry people into the cities during the strike.

"We are going to burn those vehicles coming from Mtoko, Murewa and such areas with tomatoes and vegetables," an MDC supporter, Andrew Pishai, told zimbabwejournalists.com at a market in Lusaka, Highfields.

"They should not bring their tomatoes and vegetables here. They should go to Zvimba or to state House and sell them to Robert Mugabe. We are serious, there is not going to be any business here. We are tired of people who aid Mugabe in exploiting the people of Zimbabwe."

Pishai spoke as reports about widespread violence in the rural communities of Zimbabwe continued to trickle in with a number of opposition activists apparently being hospitalised after being beaten up by Zanu PF people and youth militia.

Peter Nguwani said he had heard that in his rural home of Mutoko, those believed to have voted for the opposition MDC had their huts burnt by Zanu PF activists.

"Our message to them today is that those who are in Mutoko, Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe and such other areas who are in love with Zanu PF, please do not come to the cities because we will deal with you and we are also warning all transport operators to heed the call for the stay-in. By 12 midnight today there should be no commuter buses on the road otherwise we will deal with them."

The tone of the interviews indicated that all hell may break lose on Zimbabwe's streets tomorrow. A heavy police presence was also expected to deter those seeking to speak out against the holding of presidential election results.

Meanwhile Tsvangirai had to cancel a planned trip to South Africa to meet SADC mediator South African President Thabo Mbeki following his support for Mugabe at the regional leader's summit over Zimbabwe in Lusaka at the weekend.

Instead, Tsvangirai had decided to go to Mozambique after a similar sojourn to Botswana. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to meet Mbeki and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over the election impasse in Zimbabwe.

In the meantime, all eyes remain on Zimbabwe as the people's patience continues to wear thin over the results of the presidential election.

[Ends]