Morgan Tsvangirai will stand in a run-off; outlines conditions that need to be met
This morning’s press conference saw Morgan Tsvangirai confirm that he would face Robert Mugabe in a run-off, but he has conditions which he says need to be met. We heard the news via sms.
Arthur Mutambara was also at the press conference and said that national interests needed to be put before personal interests and that he entirely supported the conditions outlined by Morgan Tsvangirai.
The BBC have an article here, but we have a bit more sent to us in a series of sms’s. We hope more on the conditions especially will appear in the media later.
He also said that there will be no government of national unity and that the people had spoken.
The conditions include:
- Security of law
- The violence must stop immediately
- A new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
- Geroge Chiweshe must go (the head of ZEC, above)
- A free press - local and international
- A SADC peacekeeping force are wanted on the ground
- Unfettered access for international observers
At the press conference, Morgan Tsvangirai also announced that he would be returning to Zimbabwe soon (the person who sent us the text message actually wrote “for a victory parade”, but I’m not sure if Morgan Tsvangirai actually said that or if that is my texting friend’s upbeat positivity coming through).
May 10th, 2008 12:08
Now that he has agreed to run, what will happen if the “unfettered access by international observers and media” are barred entry by the Mugabe regime? And what will happen if the run-off is delayed much beyond May 24th?
Incidentally, I read that 90% of the Zim police had voted for the MDC. There’s a message in there somewhere.
May 10th, 2008 12:31
CONDITIONS PRE REQUISITE
Those conditions should all be met without compromise. Mugabe, via his newly appointed proxy Information & Publicity MInister, Cde T Mbeki, will probably try and strike a compromise. Mbeki might end up being under pressure to wear Mugabe’s shoes and then negotiate with the MDC. He will then appoint his own observers to make us believe they are “international observers”. The security of Law & free press can only be achieved if there are many inernational observers to unveil any form of distraction because the national media is totally biased towards ZANU PF.
May 10th, 2008 12:44
And Mugabe awoke with a hoof on his throat and he struggled and howled to be free,
And tripped on the racks of his English shoes and clawed at his English suits,
And crashed down the unlit corridors where his wife has collected her loot,
Screaming “You may not condemn me - there are by-laws and statutes and fines”
But the Devil replied “God’s law trumps that, and by his law you’re mine.”
Come, see what you’ve done to your people, see what you’ve done to your land,
And then I’ll haul you back into the light, and see if you understand;
Then the Devil seized him by his neck and dragged him up into the night
And Bob hung limp, for one against one was not his idea of a fight
They spiralled down to a wasteland, and Mugabe sprawled on his face,
“Spare me, spare me” he whimpered, “spare me this terrible place”,
For he saw charred beams and scattered bricks, filth and ruin and weeds,
And through the dawn came children, sifting the dust for seeds.
“Eight years ago” said the Devil, “this place was heavy with maize,
There was fruit on the trees and crops in the earth and grass for the cows to graze,
It was farmed by those who loved the soil, who knew it and tended it well,
And now it’s farmed by cellphone, from the Monomotapa hotel.”
“Racist” screamed Mugabe, “Imperialist, Colonist, Queer!
These people are free, that’s down to me and that’s why I rule here!”
“Free to do what?” asked the Devil, “to cower and cringe to survive?
The farms are going, the work is gone, now only your thugs can thrive,
Preying on women and children, feeding on horror and fear,
Flying flags of hate and despair that had no business here;
Look at your mindless militias, look in each alien face,
Condemned by their own insanity, exiled for life from the race,
Watch them go into action, cheer as they take up the fight,
Beating up Zimbabweans for the crime of being white,
Red-eyed from drink, thick-tongued from drugs, watch them go off on a spree
Burning the homes of Africans who dared to be honestly free.”
Mugabe licked his lips and whispered, “All freedom comes at a price,”
“Indeed?” said the Devil “And for the record - what was your sacrifice?
Did you give blood to the struggle? How many times were you mortared?
Or did you play politics in a hotel, and wait till your rivals were slaughtered?
If ever you tasted honour or pain those tastes were long since forgotten,
Eclipsed by the flavours of power and greed, the aromas of all that is rotten.
Come, Mugabe” and up they flew and soared over country and town
And each time they swooped, hunger and horror reached up to pull them down,
And the souls of children streamed past them, and on and up into the light
And Mugabe whimpered and twisted, to shield his eyes from the sight
“Sons of despair,” said the Devil “and daughters of desolate selves,
It’s the West that gives food to your people, while your cronies are stuffing themselves,
The West you despise and prosecute is the innocent’s sponsor and friend,
But when your young ‘veterans’ seize the supplies, these fragile lives have to end;”
“I did not know,” croaked Mugabe and the Devil applauded with glee:
“Save your lies for Mbeki, they make no impression on me.
Now, look at the shuttered factories, look at the overnight queues.”
“Blame the British,” Bob stammered, “the whites, the Norwegians, the Jews.”
But the streets sent up a whisper, a whisper as loud as a roar:
“The old man who stole three elections - it’s time that we showed him the door!”
A scream rose up from the city, a scream rose up from a cell,
And the Devil plunged them into the earth and a cameo from hell
Of shadowed figures with smiling lips that shone with delight and disdain,
Of a body convulsing and wrenching, shaking apart from the pain;
“Applaud your police,” said the Devil, “corrupted beyond repair,
And caress the electrodes, the batons and guns, and the innocent tied to the chair.”
But as Mugabe stretched out his hand the scene was gone in a flash,
And he stared instead at a drive full of Mercs and a house full of money and trash,
And then at the gloom of an upstairs room, heavy with malice and lies,
Where fat men sat and talked poison, avoiding each others’ eyes:
“Here are your generals,” the Devil hissed, “your ministers, judges and hacks,
They have fortunes and forex and farms they can’t farm, it’s only a future they lack,
Do they flee for Malaysia , Libya , France with their women and all they can pack?
Or do they just turn and remove you, and claim dispensation for that?
Look at the wealth that seeps from them, and then hold your nose at the stench
Of the paltry crew that cleave to you, the cowards, the fools and the French;
See them plotting and scheming; hear your folly despised,
Even your reptiles want you gone - you made them, are you surprised?
Now do you know what you are Mugabe, now do you understand?
You’re the Lord of the bloated thousand, and King of an empty land.
What gave you most pleasure Mugabe? Which wickedness tasted most sweet?
The mass murder of Ndebele? The children with nothing to eat?
The whites you had casually butchered? The election results that you changed?
Or the war that you fought in the Congo , for diamond commissions arranged?
The perversion of half of the system? The enrichment of those you despise?
The limos and money and power? The lies and the lies and the lies?
I ought to admire you Mugabe; you’ve certainly earned your hellfire,
And all for small motives, self interest and fear, that aspect I have to admire;
Better by far that you never had lived, Robert Gabriel,
The world will heal the wounds you’ve left, but I cannot heal you in hell!”
Then the Devil’s right hand grabbed Mugabe, and Mugabe he screamed in his fright,
And scrabbled and pleaded and whimpered and begged…
And awoke to an African night,
And sweated and panted and shuddered, calling his aides to his side,
Reconstituting his ego, his vanity, evil and pride,
But then screamed again, recoiling, from that he could not bear to see:
The slogans burning his eyes from the walls and the words… we want to be free!
Enough is enough! Zvakwana!! Sokwanele!!
The Devil meandered down Second, and strolled up Samora Machel,
“The brave will inherit,” he murmured, “when I have Mugabe in hell:
And the dawn will return to Zimbabwe , and children will learn how to smile,
Zimbabwe is one of God’s countries… but at least it was mine for a while!”
May 10th, 2008 13:54
The conditions are necessary and ideal for the peoples desires to take root but we are not dealing with a norml scenario here. The MDC has to contest in the runoff no matter what. If they win, great. If they loose it’s another piece of evidence against the illegitimate regime. The MDC is really not capitalising on its first round win and in beer hall circles some people doubt if these guys are serious about governing Zimbabwe. I would have thought MDC would have won with a landslide victory. The should talk more about the heated issues, land to be particular. mugabe didnt get 40% for nothing. There is something which strikes a cord with the people. The 10% he needed to get 50% plus one voter to become a legitimate president of Zimbabwe could be voters who have jumped ship because of hunger and rampant corruption. MDC really needs to cover this gap. We don’t want to replace one elitist group with another. Stand for the people, stand for the masses! Lastly I surely hope there will be much less travelling when Morgan wins, if he does.
May 10th, 2008 18:09
Do you have any idea how one could be a foreign election observer?
May 10th, 2008 18:40
Please allow all Zimbo’s outside Zim to vote as well, as we all back MDC’s decision.
May 10th, 2008 21:54
MBEKI STILL UNREPENTED!!!!!!
Finally Mbeki has mentioned what he was discussing with MUgabe on Friday. He is satisfied by what Mugabe is doing to “solve the crisis in Zimbabwe” This is what he had to say>>>>>>>Zimbabwean people can solve their own problems and the rest of the world should just assist, said President Thabo Mbeki today. “The solutions to the problems of Zimbabwe rest in the hands of Zimbabweans,” said Mbeki……..
What is being solved by Mugabe. The people of Zim voted Mugabe out but he remains on power. So Mbeki is saying the rest of the world should just assist Mugabe in killing his own people. Mbeki should just shut up on Zim. Just like Mugabe he is also refusing to step down as a mediator.
http://www.sabcnews.co.za/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,169245,00.html
May 11th, 2008 04:04
That poem is amazing…
May 11th, 2008 09:44
pan:
Brilliant!
May 11th, 2008 19:47
http://www.24.com/news/?p=afa&i=911697
Delay in run-off confirmed
2008-5-11 18:09
[Extracts]
‘Harare - Zimbabwe’s presidential run-off cannot take place in the time set by law, the head of the electoral commission said in an interview published Sunday.
“It was ambitious for the legislature to think 21 days would be enough,” George Chiweshe was quoted as saying in the state-run Sunday Mail.’
_________
“We want to make it clear we intend to hold the run-off at the earliest date because the period set by the legislature shows that it should be held as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying in the paper.
He said the electoral body was still waiting for the allocation of funds from the government to hold the poll.
May 11th, 2008 21:11
Threat to arrest Morgan Tsvangirai.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7394894.stm
Zimbabwe police arrest activists.
Sunday, 11 May 2008 18:42 UK
‘Police in Zimbabwe say they have arrested nearly 60 supporters of the opposition MDC, as the country awaits run-off presidential elections.’
and…
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the opposition leader was free to return but did not rule out the possibility of his arrest.
He said Mr Tsvangirai could have committed crimes which law enforcement agencies would deal with.
The minister said Zanu-PF would not allow an opposition victory, as this would be what he described as tantamount to slavery.
Asked whether the will of the people would be subverted should Mr Mugabe lose, Mr Chinamasa said: “If people attempted to unfree themselves, moves would be made to free them.”
May 12th, 2008 23:53
SA picking up a crippling tab for Zimbabwean crisis
Read this article from the Sunday Times in SA.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx?id=764065
THEN, read the comments below this article.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=764871#sectionLast
The support for Zimbabweans in South Africa is astounding. Vote Mu-garbage out and help will come faster than you could ever believe.
May 13th, 2008 11:49
First it was the venal British through the MDC who bribed election officials to rig the vote against Mugabe. Now it is the sanctions against the country which has cost Mugabe the vote- aha!!! What a revelation - Chinamasa owning up to the truth that his boss is unpopular!!!! But as usual fudging the truth about cause.
How the removal of targeted sanctions against a few kleptomaniacs and certifiable incompetents could suddenly cause Mugabe to win the vote ( or level the playing field as Chinamasa righteously claims) again beats me.
Whether the ridiculous conditions for the run-off set by Chinamasa are an indication of his party’s panicked state or the fulminations of an addled mind, the point being made is clear, ZANU is not going anywhere anytime soon. I am surprised no-one is talking about what else needs to be done to drive off this sorry lot.
May 13th, 2008 17:41
DIRTY WASHING -
President Mbeki’s role as a disreputable mediator in Zimbabwe’s affairs has now been further confirmed by recent disclosures that he ignored the advice of two judges he himself commissioned to observe the country’s 2002 general elections. This was reported by Business Day yesterday (12/5/08).
Mbeki commssioned judges Sisi Khampepe and Dingang Moseneke to observe the then already controversial election. On their return the judges wrote a scathing report on the disgraceful conduct of the election, confirming the rigging claims of the MDC, and submitted it to Mbeki. Their report detailed the ’sweeping’ undemocratic changes Mugabe had made prior to the election by amending the electoral laws. It also highlighted the failure of the country’s legal system to permit valid challenges to results.
The whole election process that returned Mugabe to power in 2002 was a complete shambles, from Mbeki downwards. The Electoral Supervisory Council was not properly constituted. The Electoral Act was rigged giving Mugabe authority to alter electoral law instead of parliament. The African National Congress and the Southern African Development Community were hoodwinked into believing and announcing that the election result had ‘represented the will of the Zimbabwean people’. Sadly the full judges report is not available for public scrutiny because Mbeki’s legal adviser has stated that it was never intended for publication and could not be released because it dealt with ‘relations between heads of state’, thereby exempting it from SA’s Promotion of Access to Information Act.
Mbeki you are a disgrace!
May 14th, 2008 11:24
I have read today about the inability for MDC to hold rallies and that Grace is back in ZImbabwe rallying I thought she was in Malaysia last I read….What are the laws about droping pamphlets from the sky or flying over Zim Air with a banner? Do you get shot down?…As to petitions not really working well they may not work persay but they give people a place to vent their anger and they give people a place to voice what they need to voice and if you keep quiet noone will hear you but if you shout someone else may hear you…..and agree with you….my philosphy on life is do unto other what you wish to be done unto yourself…and I know that I would not like anyone to sit and do nothing if I were in Zimbabwe….Our intentions and our hearts are in the right place….
May 14th, 2008 12:52
@ pan, 12/5, 23.53
Re: SA Times article: An excellent article and a wake-up call indeed for SA.
The situation is worse than if, at the time of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, W.Germany had done nothing and simply allowed E.Germany to stew in its own juice. South Africa needs to get its act together fast. If the ANC can’t/won’t act regarding Zimbabwe, then the vibrant democratic opposition parties would surely join forces to force a ‘no confidence’ motion un such an important matter. South Africa is not a land, and does not have a heritage of allowing, such a festering sore to damage and cripple it indefinitely.
May 14th, 2008 23:50
Why Southern African leaders support Mugabe
Despite the havoc his fight to retain power has wrought in neighbouring countries, the leaders of the region’s states fear true democratic accountability.
Brilliant article by thabos brother. Tried to post the article but it did not work so here is the link
http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4259726
People in SA are still fully behind you (despite the actions in Alexandra over the weekend)