The boycott has been a resounding success
This is Bulawayo’s City Hall (12.53pm), usually the busiest polling station in the City Centre. Not today!
It is starting to look like the boycott has proven highly successful, particularly, as expected, in urban areas. The turnout is interesting as the country’s urban areas have been under an onslaught of violence, intimidation and hate speech, with all towns swamped with people in Zanu PF regalia, omnibuses and taxis plastered with Zanu PF posters and people worried that this would force voters into the polling stations.
However, the nationwide trend is a clear message to the dictator, he is not wanted!
Nyathi
Boycott is successful, poor turnout.
Voter turn out has been pitiful. The beerhall had a better attendance. The few who did go to vote said they spoilt their papers.
Masvingo
Boycott is successful, poor turnout.
Once again, the same story. The only polling station of any significance is the one close to the army barracks, where a meagre 30 people were seen queueing in the morning.
Kadoma
Boycott is successful, poor turnout.
Chivhu
Boycott is successful, poor turnout.
Like the City Hall, these polling stations also reflect the impact of the boycott
Tennyson, 2.03pm
Hotel Rio, 2.01pm
Emgwanani Nketa 1.40pm
June 27th, 2008 18:46
Zimbabweans you have done yourselves proud.Isu tiri kuno kunze kwenyika hatisi kukanganwai muminato yedu,tinongoti dai Musikavanhu atinzwa kuchema kwedu.
June 27th, 2008 18:52
Excellent! May this nightmare end soon.
June 27th, 2008 19:43
How can we make sure that ZEC have no pens or pens of a particular colour?
They are going to have a long night filling in forms.
Is there a checkout function to count tonight as before?
June 27th, 2008 22:04
STRIKE!!! Well done guys!!! This scenario reminds me of that movie with Peter Sellars called “The Party” .. remember, in the beginning of the film he was in a movie-shoot and the more they shot him, the more he prolonged his scripted death… he just would not stay down!! hehehe
Hang in there guys… the struggle is nearly over.
June 30th, 2008 11:06
How does the turnout seem so large by these fake results yet not as many people were seen at the polling stations? How do we come to have such a large turn out when people did not vote? Ballot stuffing is the only credible answer here. Lembuzi iyakubana lokho.
June 30th, 2008 13:11
@ Menard
We want to be very focused. By my calculations, about 200K people still voted for MRT and another 200K spoilt their papers against a maximum total of 2.xM votes.
That means at least 20% of the vote was a protest vote done with the possibility of personal danger.
When we design online communities, we expect 1% to be initiators, 9% to be elaborators and 90% to be consumers.
When you know figures like this, and the sure knowledge that the ballots were stuffed to some degree or another, then the turnout was fantastic. We should spread the word that Zimbabwe resisted not that Zimbabwe was beaten.
My advice to people on the ground, and let’s be clear I have been away for a little while now, is dig in. It is not clear how long this will go on for, so strengthening local ties and local arrangements is very important. I think you know this.
Out here, we must work the principle of effective small levers for big changes.
If we can do nothing else, an email a day to a decision maker or a comment on a major newspaper prodding them to ask the right questions.
We know from the An Yue Jiang that we can make the greatest impact when we give people a concrete issue, something to be indignant about and clear action. AND get the money and organised groups behind us. I am sure that getting Lloyds involved was critical - they were watching that ship closely. COSATU and the unions were critical and will be forever in our hearts.
It is like dominos - knock over one piece and the rest follow!