Kubatana.net have provided consolidated information on the recent Zimbabwe senate elections, including results and a list of articles.

The final results show that a total of 631347 people cast their votes. There were 3 239 574 registered voters. The final percentage poll was 19.48%. Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) says that this is the lowest voter turnout since 1980.

The ZESN website also carries a report analysing the senatorial constituencies [link to .pdf] .

My brother is working for two farmers in binga north – farmers who were given their farms free by mugabe. He is getting paid $500 000 a month – and sometimes he doesn’t get paid at all. He fails to buy even one 750ml cooking oil and one bar of soap with this amount of money, and yet it is supposed to last him the whole month. He has a family to look after and the children need to go to school. Something needs to be done about the wages and our economy. We cannot carry on like this.

Technorati Tags: mugabe, economy, Zimbabwe, inflation, poverty

Today I came close to being hijacked. I got the fright of my life. Two cars were waiting facing opposite directions, and as I came past the one did a ‘u’ turn and followed me and the other followed as well. They came up fast and I got onto the cell phone but kept on getting ‘network busy’. Finally I managed to get through to a friend, but by then, after a series of right turns and me looking at them talking into the phone they slowed and I went my way. Both cars had no number plates, but I have seen so many cars with no number plates in town lately. Are the police not looking for people breaking the law anymore? The number of red lights I have seen people go through as well is scary and I have not seen one policeman patrolling or checking for law-breakers in town. I think they need to be told to get out there and do their jobs. I am too scared to go into town now with my car for fear of either being whacked at a robot or getting it stolen. Best I buy a few pairs of shoes instead and start walking.

Technorati Tags: hijacked, police, Zimbabwe, crime

Zimbabwe senate election results at a glance, via SW Radio Africa:

Chikomba-Wedza constituency
Rosemary Goto (ZANU-PF) 20 073
Egypt Dzinemunhenzva (MDC) 3 585

Zvimba
Virginia Muchenje (ZANU PF) 16 754
Emily Masimba (MDC) 2 777

Beitbridge constituency
Tambudzai Mohadi (ZANU PF) 9 856
Alfred Magama (MDC) 1 7 29

Gwanda constituency
Alma Mukwebu (ZANU PF) 9 104
Readus Tlou (MDC) 5 507 votes.

Bulilima-Mangwe constituency
Eunice Moyo (ZANU PF) 9 310
Tapela Lotho (MDC) 9 289

Matobo-Umzingwane constituency
Annanias Sithomi (ZANU-PF) 15 765
David Ndukwana (MDC) 10 723

Chipinge-Chimanimani
Tobias Matanga (ZANU PF) 36 516
Wilson Khumbula (ZANU Donga) 10 765

Hurungwe-Kariba constituency
Phone Madiro (ZANU-PF) 19 630
Canciwell Nziramasanga (MDC) 5 428

Masvingo constituency
Dzikamai Mavhaire (ZANU PF) 20 451
Hilda Sibanda (MDC) 3 174
Anthony Kundishora (Independent) 2 661.

Harare-Mbare-Hatfield constituency
Vivian Mwashita (ZANU-PF) 19 046
Alois Mudaingwa (MDC) 4 152
Sipiwe Mupini (ZANU) 258
Mike Duro (ZIYA) 110
Simon Mandiveyi (Independent) 247

Chitungwiza constituency
Forbes Magadu (ZANU-PF) 10 653
Shake Maya (MDC) 2 673

Harare-Mabvuku-Tafara constituency
Chichai Gumbura (ZANU-PF) 8 278
Frank Chamunorwa (MDC) 2 229
Mathias Guchutu (MOP-CD) 100
Wilbroad Kanoti (ZIYA) 78

Bulawayo-Nkulumane constituency
Rita Ndlovu (MDC) 4 188
Dumiso Dabengwa (ZANU-PF) 3 276

Pelandaba – Mpopoma constituency
Greenfield Nyoni (MDC) 1 974
Tryphinia Nhliziyo (ZANU-PF) 1 688

Lobengula-Magwegwe constituency
Thabiso Ndlovu (MDC) 2 670
Sithembiso Nyoni (ZANU-PF) 1 394

Bulawayo-Makokoba constituency
Msipa Sibangalizwe (MDC) 3 947
Malinga Joshua Teke (ZANU- PF) 2 258

Pumula Luveve constituency
Fanuel Bayayi (MDC) 2 876
Lot Senda (ZANU-PF) 1 550
Jethro Mkwananzi (ZAPU-FP) 213

Results of the Electoral College of Chiefs are as follows:

Manicaland Province – Chief Chiduku
Mashonaland Central – Chief Negomo
Mashonaland East – Chief Musarurwa
Mashonaland West – Chief Nemakonde
Masvingo – Chief Sengwe
Matabeleland North – Chief Matshane
Matabeleland South – Chief Maduna
Midlands – Chief Gambiza

Chief Nemakonde of Mashonaland West
Chief Sengwe of Masvingo Province and Chief Maduna of Matabeleland South were all nominated unopposed.

The President of Chief’s Council, Chief Charumbira and his Deputy Chief Malaba automatically qualify into the Senate.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, senate, election, results

Zimbabwe’s National Association of NGOs (NANGO) has taken a bold step and called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute government officials responsible for Operation Murambatsvina (‘clear out trash’). IRIN has the full article:

The ICC, unlike the International Court of Justice, can try individuals and investigate crimes, such as drug trafficking and genocide, referred to it by governments as well as the UN Security Council.

[...]

Relations between government and NGOs have deteriorated since the announcement of a new policy last month, which makes it mandatory for all NGOs to apply to their respective provincial governor’s office for permission to operate. NANGO has ordered its members to ignore the policy, seen as an interim measure until the controversial NGO bill of 2004 is approved.

The bill, which will ban the activities of organisations involved in human rights and civic education campaigns, also outlaws foreign funding of NGOs, and would subject NGOs to strict vetting by a committee appointed by the government, with minimal NGO representation.

The bill was passed by parliament late in 2004 but President Robert Mugabe has refused to sign it into law and referred it back to parliament for further discussion.

NANGO has argued that its members were not consulted about the new policy and said it would ignore the directive until the government had canvassed it with the affected organisations.

We congratulate NANGO for the bold move and their brave stance on the NGO bill.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, NGO, NANGO, International Criminal Court, Murambatsvina, human rights

Some follow-up tidbits of information after the farcical senate elections.

Even though zanu-pf were clearly going to win from the beginning, and even though no one gave a damn about these elections, they still resorted to their old dirty tricks. For example, someone I know who comes from Intabzinduna north of Bulawayo told me that zanu-pf campaigned for the senate elections using food. They brought in maize and only gave it to those that voted ZANU PF in the last election and they told people that others won’t get until they stop voting MDC! This also supports what Gogo Selina told ‘Still Here’.

Another person – a friend of a friend of a friend – was arrested for ‘attending an MDC youth meeting’. The man was beaten but did manage to get treatment. His friends are still hoping to be able to get him to a human rights organisation to document his injuries. In the meanwhile, this poor man has to report to the police every single day (this is usually only necessary for serious criminals!) and that means he cannot attend work and earn a wage to feed his family.

For how much longer can Zimbabwe’s African neighbours call this sham a democracy? Shame on them!

Technorati Tags: senate election, zanu-pf, MDC, human rights, Zimbabwe, Africa, democracy

It’s been a while since you heard from Gogo Selina but she battles on in the face of incredible adversity, her flock of grandchildren dependent on her meagre income to clothe, feed and educate them because she has now lost two out of four of her children to HIV/AIDS.

This morning I told her the news that all 5 mdc candidates were successful in the senate elections. She slowly shook her head and said, “So what, will they make any difference to my children? What can they do? There is nothing they can do.”

She then told me that when she was home in her rural area last week she witnessed the sale of maize meal, now almost impossible to find on our supermarket shelves, was being sold to zpf supporters for Z$500 a bag, a few US cents. The current street price for maize meal is Z$220 000 for 10kg.

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but the zpf dog repeatedly bares its worn canines, masters of the same dirty old tricks.

(* Click on previous posts by ‘Still Here’ for more about Gogo Selina)

Technorati Tags: HIV/AIDS, senate elections, Zimbabwe, HIV, AIDS, Inflation, Poverty

The Zimbabwe senate non-election election has come and gone. Yesterday carried an atmosphere of quiet apathy, confusion and disillusionment. Supporters of democracy did not quite know what to do, to vote or not to vote. Ordinary people have fallen into the crack of the mdc’s divide, unsure what stance to take.

I personally felt ambivalent to the whole fiasco, for the first time in five years an election day was an absolute non event. There was a dribble of half hearted campaigning but overall the whole “voter fatigue” syndrome ruled the debacle.

For so long we have been told to trust Tsvangirai, then the very people who have sung his praises have labelled him a traitor. Who knows what to believe these days? The only answer to this country’s ills is for people to take to the streets, but this is impossible to achieve without credible leadership.

The city streets were awash yesterday, not with voters out to exercise their democratic rights, but with longed for rain and with it streams of soil carried away by the water meant to nourish it – our once lush verges are now dust patches, African urban erosion is taking its toll.

The true allegory for Zimbabwe’s plight lies in those rivers of mud and debris fouling our once proud city streets with the erosion of the country’s soul.

Technorati Tags: Zimbabwe, senate, election, democracy, vote