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!

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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.

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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 controlle
d 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!

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Although my doctor told me to watch my blood pressure, I decided to watch the news on ZBC last night, locally known as ‘Dead BC’. Their antidemocratic, one sided reporting is quite remarkable. They showed no less than seven zpf rallies held around the country yesterday, and only one MDC rally - the President Morgan Tsvangirai at star rally in Harare the day before.

The hilarious element of their riveting reports was that in three of the rallies they showed the same footage of dancing, singing women - boy, zpf women get around the country fast! Beam me up Scottie, because they must have moved at lightning speed to attend all of those events in one day. Indeed, in two rallies the entire audience had translocated to show their grim support for these masters of deceit.

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All very quiet in our area. The greatest excitement has been the attempted hijacking of a Botswanan car by 2 armed men in a South African car in the middle of a main street on Saturday morning. Fortunately it failed as the car didn’t start. The driver had to run off down the road as fast as he could!

Stacks of posters around the city mostly for the opposition! Also, lots of open handed salutes from everyone!

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Action is taking place! These flyers are being distributed under the ‘Sokwanele - Zvakwana - Enough is Enough’ banner. Visit www.sokwanele.com to view enlarged versions.

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Bulawayo has finally been blessed with some rain. Night before last the heavens opened with a spectacular thunderstorm and the clouds have been heavy with thunder.

But, Selina killed my joy yesterday afternoon when she came into the house and said, “Ah, but it’s too late. The crops we planted are already dead and the commercial farmers from my area have all been kicked out. My children are hungry all because of one man.”

The government and the Western media seem to be in cahoots over the reason for hunger in this country and it is not the fault of late rains that there is no maize. We have had worse droughts in previous years with main catchment dams far below current levels and we still managed to pull through.

It is the chaotic land seizures that are directly to blame, for those resettled on the farms have no financial backing or training in running l
arge scale irrigation programmes. The zanupf chefs who are the main beneficiaries of stolen farms simply reaped what was previously planted by commercial farmers and haven’t bothered to keep the farms going.

I dread to think about what Selina and the rest of the country are going to do come winter and how will she feed her hungry children. She supports 9 grandchildren as AIDS has already claimed three of her children.

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One of my workmates is married to a man who has served this country in the Zimbabwe National Army since soon after Independence. She recently commented that no matter what he is paid, they find it hard to feed and improve the lives of their children. She told me that last week he was forced to vote for ZanuPF and was told to make his men to do the same. He is unhappy with not having the freedom of choice. She commented that he felt as if he had lost his human rights. What next?

*Sokwanele has created this pseudonym for those people who are uncomfortable with the idea of being associated too closely with our movement. We thank them for speaking to us and, like them, we look forward to the day when we can stand side by side openly in public.

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I went out jolling the other night and had a gas at a somewhat seedy, but well known down town nightclub. I was gob smacked to be introduced to some of the South African observers. They were more than a little pissed and were still going for it when I left in the early hours of the morning. Rumour has it that the stock of vodka in Zim is at stake because the Russian observer team have already finished their own stash.

How do they protect the vote when they wake up with a major hang over, dry mouthed and in serious need of dark glasses?

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It is hard to have hope when you are surrounded by suffering. Viva Pius! Thank you for giving the people a voice. Thank you.

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I was part of the large and peaceful crowd that attended the MDC Rally at White City Stadium, Bulawayo, on Saturday. While seated on the grass waiting quietly to hear Morgan Tsvangirai speak I noticed a group of people running in my direction, obviously in some distress. It turned out that they had been tear gassed. Their eyes were streaming and they were in great discomfort. Fortunately I had brought with me some water and I and others nearby used that to relieve some of the worst symptoms of the tear gas.

At this point I noticed there were some members of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission watching the commotion from just a few meters away. I picked them out by the insignia they were wearing. It struck me that they should be doing something about this unwarranted attack upon innocent members of the public who gathered lawfully and peacefully to hear the opposition leaders.

I walked up to the nearest member of the ZEC, and said to him: “Why are we being tear-gassed? What have we done that is wrong?”

The man did not say one word in reply. Instead he glared at me, giving me one of the most cold, evil and menacing looks I have ever seen.

So much for the neutrality and independence of Zimbabwe’s electoral commission!

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Congratulations to this hero for his outstanding courage in leading from the front, rather than following his flock. Spiritual leaders need to ensure the rights, lives and futures of their congregations. If they don’t stand up for good, who will?

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Selina has just come back from her rural home and tells me that the computers given to her child’s school by our president, were then taken back for delivery to another school. So much for election gimmicks!

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Flattering comparison of Zvakwana to freedom fighters in Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia. We hope we live up to it and we know Zimbabweans want freedom as much as they do!

The whole world is noticing Zimbabwe’s struggle. Zvakwana was featured on page one of the weekly Mail and Guardian SA with five posters pictured and ‘f*ck quiet diplomacy!’ Sokwanele’s blog has been noticed by the Guardian newspaper (UK) in their online blog section.

Newsweek on its cover says “Mugabe is on the ropes”.

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I have been visiting Zimbabwe for years as a tourist. If you like to be off the beaten path, COME NOW! I practically had Vic Falls to myself, and the road from Vic Falls to Bulawayo is empty. Stop at one of the little picnic rest stops, which have unfortunately fallen apart, and you will be alone in silence.

As for violence, how do you see it? As a visitor, you can’t really see what’s happening. Thanks to sites like Sokwanele for telling what’s really happening.

The truth is that something’s wrong. I saw a dead hyena on the road near Hwange, and then heard that there is a giant elephant slaughter there. Every single person wants to talk politics. Everybody asks for food – something that did NOT used to happen here – and all the guys are looking very trim – too trim, with small waists. You can tell they’re not getting enough to eat, even in Vic Falls where there are still some jobs.

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