Armed forces say “Enough is enough”

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission opened the postal ballot to all civil servants working outside the country as well as the local army and police. Those in the armed forces within the country were also allowed to choose to vote by postal ballot or to go to their own registered polling station on the 31st March.

That ballot has already closed, all ballot papers have been submitted to the relevant Constituencies, to be opened at the end of the voting process and added to the local votes.

A mere 9500 postal ballots have been submitted. This means the armed forces have already decided to say “Enough is enough” and refused to vote in the presence of their commanding officers.

All activists working in the name of democracy would like to congratulate the armed forces for joining them in their quest for freedom!

Please put our beloved Gogo in your prayers

Selina packed some rations for her grandchildren in her rural home this morning, enough to feed them for a few days, but not enough to attract any tsotsis to her loot. Armed with a huge smile and an enormous amount of determination, we hugged, shed tears for our impoverished and battered nation and off she went to vote in her home constituency.

I am wracked with worry as to her safety, for in the presidential elections her activist husband was beaten to a pulp and had to hide in the bush for five days.

For any of you out there who are listening, please put our beloved Gogo in your prayers tonight.

"Chinese brought boxes for zanu pf to win"

Along the Nyanzane river resettlement area people are so afraid and were told that the Chinese brought boxes for zanu pf to win. The people think that the boxes are somehow already rigged in favour of zanu pf.

People were told to rally behind their headman for if not, it will be known who did not comply. Some people in the area asked for protection from zanu pf thugs. It is a 50 / 50 situation there.

Reported from a Sokwanele activist on the ground: Fort Rixen . Name withheld for security.

COSATU Vigil in Musina, South Africa

I just returned from South Africa today. At 8am this morning, when I drove through Musina the COSATU vigil was already in full swing. There were colourful banners and Zim flags everywhere. The people were singing as they walked. SA police helicopters were flying overhead. There was massive police presence all around us. Film crews are on the ground reporting. I spoke to some of the supporters who are peacefully making their way down the road between Musina and Beitbridge. They say they are expecting around 20 000 people to join them during the course of the day. One man commented ‘we want our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe to know we are here in solidarity. We are with you all the way”.

I still have a lump in my throat! I cannot describe the joy I felt at seeing so many people turn out in support.

Persistent dirty tricks

Chaos abounds in the ruling party structures and there is a last minute attempt to block legitimate access to polling stations by MDC and Independent Election Agents. Despite mugabe’s desperate need to present tomorrow’s vote as free and fair so as to garner international recognition, the dirty tricks department has seen the writing on the wall and, as you read this, are busy trying to rig the vote.

Today was the day to deploy all Election Agents (in previous elections known as Polling Agents) to the 8500 polling stations located in 120 constituencies.

At Victoria Falls this afternoon, the MDC candidate’s appointed Election Agents were turned away. The reason given was that they could not produce an affidavit that they had signed the “Declaration of Secrecy” as prescribed by the “Electoral Secrecy Act”.

THERE IS NO SUCH ACT!

At several other polling stations, particularly in the rural areas, Election Agents were turned away because they could not produce a hard copy of the advertisement posted in the press to announce their names. These adverts were timeously published in a local newspaper, the Presiding Officer was simply up to dirty tricks.

Ironically, zanupf failed to honour the regulation set out in the Electoral Act that stipulates advertisement of the Election Agents be published at least three days before voting day.

The Chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission(ZEC) was handpicked by mugabe for the job, and under him is his Commission. The next step down from the Commission are the 120 Constituency Election Officers, all of them civil servants, military or police. Each candidate has a chosen Chief Election Agent and the candidate appoints a maximum of 4 partisan Agents per polling station. Each polling station is under the jurisdiction of a government selected Presiding Officer.

Tent polling stations

Tent polling stations have been going up today.

Not such a proud, white Zimbo today...

I am not such a proud, white Zimbo today because I discovered that all too many of my whitey friends believe they should not go out to vote tomorrow morning.

These ostriches think it isn’t their fight, are too afraid to get involved, or are just too lazy to get out of bed. Well, they certainly aren’t being invited to my victory party!

Now I got that off my chest, a bit of good news. The place is buzzing, people are stocking up with groceries as they believe the country is going to shut down until the regime is kicked out. It was also on the news that Grace and the kids have gapped it to London, well that’s a good sign.

It’s time to get rid of the bullies.

More panic measures from zanupf

The government has come up with another panic measure - this time to buy the urban vote. Today, domestic workers’ salaries and wages were increased across the board by a staggering average of 900% backdated to 1st March, 2005.

Does the illegitimate and bankrupt regime really believe that domestic workers are stupid enough to change their allegiance over this last resort measure?

The urban masses know that the economy is in a state of collapse, they know how useless the Zimbabwe dollar is, they understand fundamental basic economics – put wages up, inflation increases, salaries still worth nothing!

Election fever beginning

Today on my way into town I saw my first polling station – a large green tent that has been erected close to a local shopping centre. Wow! I had feelings of excitement and fear all at the same time. Excitement, because the day that the people will speak is near. Fear, because all Zimbabweans know that the threat of violence is always close by. As I sat waiting for the street light to change, a dark green bus (army I expect) pulled up alongside me. It was absolutely crammed with people, from what I could see, most were women. A few were wearing zanu scarves on their heads. Some were singing. I wonder where they were being transported to? There is electricity in the air. Election fever is upon us!

I'll wear my shirt with pride

Yesterday I was given an MDC campaign t-shirt. I am not going to use it as a ‘sleep shirt’ in the privacy of my home. I am going to wear it when I go out. I am going to wear it with pride, and no-body is going to stop me! And when I am not wearing my t-shirt, I am not going to hide it deep in the back of my wardrobe, under all my other clothes like I have done in the past. Supporting the peoples party is not a crime. I will not be afraid.

zanupf dirty tricks!

Information has just come in that flyers under the MDC banner have been printed by forces opposed to democracy encouraging people to boycott elections because "the playing field is not level". It is clear that state controlled agencies are becoming increasingly nervous over the groundswell of support for democratic process, they can see that democracy has a voice and will be heard. The printing work sympathetic to zanupf was raided in Harare before many of the flyers could hit the streets. This flyer is another dirty trick in an attempt to quell the huge number of anti zanu voters planning to exercise their democratic right on the 31st March. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, confronted with this blatent breach of electoral conduct, has been involved and it is hoped that they will take appropriate action.

Zimbabwe Radio also broadcast tonight that the public may not return to their polling stations to witness the election results being posted. This works in direct contravention to the Electoral Act.

The people of Zimbabwe will be heard. Freedom Day is coming!