Mugabe’s politbureau meeting has apparently just ended
I have just received an sms to say that the politbureau meeting - the one which the media is telling us has discussions focussed on the what to do about the Bob problem - has just ended. Nothing more than that at this stage.
Update: Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party has given its backing to President Robert Mugabe’s participation in a possible run-off vote (via the BBC).
I almost simultaneously received another sms telling me that roadblocks were springing up in town (Bulawayo).
And then this press release arrived by email. This last especially confirms to me that they are trying very, very hard to provoke anger in Zimbabwe. Note the dirty tricks and brainwashing techniques:
Reports coming through from Zimbabwe indicate that the stalling of an announcement on the results of the Presidential elections could be a mechanism for buying time and provoking violence in order to mobilise the armed forces and militia against the people.
Yesterday afternoon, Zanu PF youths dressed in the regalia of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party visited the MDC’s headquarters at Harvest House in Harare, saying that “we must demonstrate on the streets”.
Fortunately, the MDC received prior warning and the situation was defused.
This was followed by an intelligence report earlier this morning that Zanu PF had called in youths to their headquarters in Harare. They were told that the MDC had brought back all of the white people from the region to take back the farms. They were also fed the traditional Zanu PF rhetoric that Zimbabweans - through their voting - have demonstrated they no longer believe.
According to our sources, they were then planning to march to Harvest House and provoke a situation. Riot police have been put on stand by to “deal with any situations”.
A report just received from the Masvingo in the south of the country warns that armed men are being deployed in the rural areas.
Zimbabwe is on a knife edge. The MDC says it is absolutely essential for South Africa and neighbouring countries to act now as the situation is extremely volatile.
The Zimbabwean government has acted with ruthlessness in the past and all indications are that it will do so again.
We will keep you informed of developments. (ZDN)
April 4th, 2008 17:18
I fear Zimbabwe is in for a repeat of what happened in Burma. It will be surprising if Tsangvarai is not arrested.
April 4th, 2008 17:38
This seems to be heading for a run-off.
Morgan Tsvangirai probably needed at least 55% of the vote to avoid that.
I would imagine that all kinds of intimidatory tactics will be employed by Zanu-PF, so the coming weeks will be a tremendous test of the discipline and focus of the MDC.
April 4th, 2008 17:49
People of Zimbabwe, allow me to air my views, I am not as educated as some people so my views maybe a bit too simplistic so plase bear with me. As I understand it Mugabe disolved parliament and his cabinet before the elections meaning that as things stand he alone is ruling the country with the help of his executive powers, so what mandate does Bright Matonga and others like him the mandate to comment, he says that the comments being made by MDC are mischevious etc etc but at this present moment in time he is not even a minister, never mind one without portfolio.
But more importantly Zanu’s actions highlight that they know what the election results are, otherwise what gives them the motive to prepare for a run-off, unless they know them results.
I am very angry but I guess I should be used to it by now, Mugabe using the country for his own personal gain, Zimbabwe is bigger and more important than him and co, but if you believe you are right in your beliefs then put it to the test, but then again we all know what the people said the last time he asked us to make our choice and be heard.
April 4th, 2008 17:56
IOL have just reported that the politburo say - after the meeting - that they will support RGM in a run-off IF… IF… neither win the required majority. So we are back to waiting for the results and keeping calm in the face of Zanu and warvets provocations.
April 4th, 2008 18:22
Congratulations on your blog, you report about the situation more timely and in more detail than all the mainstream press. The world is watching and holding its breath. We pray for all you Zimbabweans to finally be freed from the brutal regime of Mugabe!
April 4th, 2008 18:31
Keep the faith Zim. No matter what, the country will outlive the man. Thanks for the excellent blog, Sokwanele.
April 4th, 2008 18:33
Everyone must know RGM will not concede. He will never allow the release of election results. There will either be a state of emergency declared or if a run off is to be done the run up to the vote will see intimidation as never before.
April 4th, 2008 18:58
BBC have just announced “Breaking News”. Zanu PF are contesting 6 parliamentary seats - citing bribery of ZEC by MDC!!! You could see the look of disbelief on the news reader’s face as he read it out! For the first time I think the rest of the world can see what we Zimbabweans have known for so long - just what lies Mugabe is prepared to tell to stay in power and keep his people under thumb!
April 4th, 2008 19:36
Everyone knows that the best way to voice is to vote so lets vote again and prove him wrong in front off all his security. Violence with Violence won’t resolve anything as yet until after the 2nd vote. If cheated then and only then can we get into a war to hell with living under pressure because of one mans selfishness.
April 4th, 2008 19:40
If the old man goes, he will not go quietly. If only he had the dignity of a Mandela or a Tambo. So sad for Zimbabwe.
Mary
April 4th, 2008 19:41
Zanu PF is now challenging the results of 16 seat hoping to win back the majority! Let’s pray and continue to believe God that He has ALREADY answered our prayers for change! He will not disappoint but we will get what we believe and confess - we have won and change is ours!
April 4th, 2008 19:49
I agree with Peter, this blog reports more substantive news than any other source - including NYTimes, BBC and South African papers. Please keep it up.
One thing I don’t hear people discussing is the question of what Zim will be like post-Mugabe. The guy is 84 years old. He can’t last much longer. Is ZANU-PF set up to live on after his demise? Or is the body likely to die without its head?
April 4th, 2008 22:13
I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but on Saturday it was R8.11 to the US$. As the results came out in Zim, the rand rose to as high as R7.72 to the US$. With today’s zanu antics, it’s down to R7.88 and falling fast.
Now, I’m just a tokunbo, er, kwerekwere [ie I'm a black foreigner in South Africa; tokunbo is the Yoruba word], but it should be clear to anyone with common sense the effect of South African [in]action in Zimbabwe on the rand. I’m paid in US$ so I’m happy, but a) I grew up in Masvingo and I know that Zim is one of the greatest countries on earth *despite* bob and b) if Zanu manage to steal this again, it’s going to be a big, big big mess.
This is rubbish.
That said, the British should have kept their mouth shut until *after* everythng was said and done. If you missed it, they said they could cough up the rest of the Lancaster House cash plus a couple hundred million quid to help rebuild if the MDC take over.
This was exactly what the Phiri needed to keep bob from packing his bags.
April 4th, 2008 23:09
I am so emotionally distraught. My faith is wavering. Mugabe and ZANU PF have not only economically and physically abused us for over 28 years they are now playing mind games with us. This is serious emotionally abuse. How can reason prevail? Now ZEC is corrupt and was bought by the MDC and white commercial farmers are moving back onto to commercial farmers?
Seriously what do these people take us for? In the past six days I have been feeling very charitable and imagined Mugabe going and resigning to his rural home to write his memoirs. Now I am angry. So so angry.
To put this into context as a 12 year old in 1979 I lost my mom. A widow bringing up five kids on her own my mom was killed by ‘our guerrillas’ for refusing that her daughters (four of us)would not go to the all night propaganda meetings ‘the pungwe’ where girls were routinely raped. I have tried over the years to put this behind me and try and move on. I know there are so many Zimbabweans with my narrative. Wives who have been left to bring up kids on their own. Children with no birth certificates because their fathers have never been officially declared dead in Matebeleland. Girls who were raped by green bombers, farmers who lost everything including their lives, fathers who watch their kids starve to death because they can’t feed them. This is Zimbabwe’s collective story and in spite of my pain I was still going to be charitable and wish Mugabe a happy retirement. Now all I feel is anger. I can not even pray. I am just so angry. This man has cost us so much he really should just go. A day even an hour more is just too much for me to take.
April 4th, 2008 23:41
As a Brit I’d like to echo what Tokunbo posted - whatever the British Government says and does publicly at this critical moment is unlikely to be helpful to the people of Zimbabwe.
My symapathies are with all the people of Zimbabwe - your nation could be a beacon and a powerhouse of Southern Africa and let us pray to God that it soon will be.
April 5th, 2008 00:56
Tokunbo - you are right, whatever the British or the Western media say plays into Mugabe’s twisted world view.
The thing that Western commentators don’t realise is that the elections are not about one party’s policies against another, nor even about one party’s ideology against another. Rather it is a vote between two different world views. We have seen the Zanu-PF world view recently in the Herald, in the statements by the War Vets leader, even by the ambassador to the UN. What we see in Zanu-PF is a complete, internally consistent world view isolated from reality. In that sense it’s more like religious fundamentalism than politics. The reactions and future actions of people working for the regime will make more sense when you look at it that way.
The worrying implication of this is that there are people in Zimbabwe who truly believe that the majority of the electorate have now sold their country to the Western powers. Whether or not there is robust persuasion for people to vote the “right” way in the run-off, we should be prepared for something worse: punishment meted out to the people for being “sell-outs”. I wish it were not so, but we are dealing with a collective form of madness here. When you deal with a mad person you don’t know what they will do next, or where they will stop.
I so hope I’m wrong. We really need the rest of Africa to stand with the people of Zimbabwe right now.
April 5th, 2008 03:11
Readers in Zimbabwe should take some heart from the fact that, this time round, many more ordinary people around the world are watching this election closely and seriously. Many, many people - even those who have no direct connections with the country - stand with all of you who desire a peaceful and democratic nation. This blog has been playing an important role in keeping us informed. You are not alone!
April 5th, 2008 04:16
Mugabe & ZANU-PF worldview being characterisable as religious fundamentalism is close to being correct … I would also say that Mugabe & ZANU-PF seem not to have recovered from the trauma of the liberation struggle … Zimbabwe got independence in 1980 and has since moved on but they still seem not to have re-awakened to this reality. What I see now is a pressing need for the people to re-define the 3rd Chimurenga as “the people’s struggle to liberate themselves from their 2nd Chimurenga liberators”! ZANU-PF now behave more life a liberator’s mafia organisation from whose blackmail and oppression the people must now wage a protracted struggle. To prove me wrong, ZANU-PF and Mugabe must follow the people wishes and feel comfortable to go let people’s choice, i.e., MDC, into government and themselves go into opposition. Otherwise, they loose the mantle of being liberators. A true liberator liberates people from all forms of oppression including his own.
April 5th, 2008 14:05
beth thanks for sharing your story, it has touched me deeply. i feel your anger too and i can’t believe why everyone wanted to be so charitable with mugabe and let him spend his fortunes (all the money he stole from YOU) in malaysia or wherever. that’s not what this old fart deserves. but i fear he won’t let go at all, it will take a real fight to remove him and his cronies from power.
i fully agree with tokunbo and mike, the brits should better keep their mouths shut. i’m a whitey but i am so angry about this whole situation that i would love to come over from CT right now and fight with you for your freedom!
April 5th, 2008 20:10
i am very disappointed, depressed, stressed about what is happenning in Zimbabwe. how can that he refuse the election result. We all know why its not been announced finally he lost. he should go and leave us to live in peace and without fear. Mugabe must be arrested for the crimes he committed. He must spend the rest of his life in prison. He is clinging on to power because he fears that he will go to prison. Did he really think he will rule for ever. Did he think he is God. Finally God has answered our prayers and I continue praying that all his tricks fail. Mugabe and your cronies you must all rot in Chikurubi Maximum Prison. You are not above the Lord. Its time for you to pay.
April 5th, 2008 20:22
What every Zimbabweam now knows is that the seeming mightty for nothing Mugabe cam be out voted’ it has happemed in Parliament it can definitely happaen in the Presidentials.Pleople of Zimbambe have faith in God and in yourselves and kick out this monster. he is giving his last kicks of dying horse. Just push him over the adge with one weapon against his guns “YOUR VOTE” vote him out plain and simple. He will kill some Zimbaweans but certainly won’t kill all the Zimbabweans
April 7th, 2008 08:50
Beth, our hearts go out to you as we read your story and hear your pain, a reflection of as you say Zimbabwe’s collective story. You are exceptional to have even contemplated a peaceful retirement for the evil man representing the violence which tore our country (and your family) apart in the years of war, and then in the so-called years of freedom. Hang in there, Beth. Believe there are better days to come. Individuals can make such a difference, for good or bad, and the country needs the good ones, like you. Be encouraged that there are many people praying desperately for Zim across the world, and I shall specifically pray for you and your future.