March 29 election post mortem - Maps & analysis of trends, patterns & predictions for run-off

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Abstract:

While the run up to the 29 March 2008 harmonized elections was relatively calm, scenarios in the post election period reflect a far cry from this. The post election era witnessed frightening increases in politically motivated violence with 4359 cases having been recorded in April 2008 by Zimbabwe Peace Project, indicating a 470% increase in monthly recordings from pre election levels of 795. The nature of violence has shifted from incidental election violations to systematic and organized forms characterized by increases in malicious damage to property, torture, abductions, rape, displacements. Manifest in these new forms is the need to inflict permanent harm on the victim. These phenomena, if not urgently curbed, are set to disenfranchise a very significant percentage of the voter population in Zimbabwe! The Zimbabwean voter is at high risk of being short changed!