The unconfirmed reports (or rumours) are flying crazily. Just heard that Robert Mugabe has apparently left for Mozambique (this morning it was Mauritius).

We also heard that Chiweshe (ZEC Chairman) fled the Meikles Hotel in Harare where the press are gathered waiting to hear results. The story goes that he refused to deliver the news.

Another unconfirmed report is that Elliot Manyike has shot someone in anger, seriously angry because he lost his seat.

But the oddest news of the morning so far is the story that Sabina Mugabe has died of a heart attack and Bob is using this as an excuse to delay the news.

I laughed at this last, because it sounds like such Zimbo grapevine stuff, but the story is coming in from a variety of sources.

It’s hard to filter fact from fiction at this stage. But what it tells me is that the nation is desperate for news and starting to share everything they have as fast as they can.

Oh, and last bit of confirmed news - this is fact fact - via the ZBC is that they are still “verifying” the results. We all know what “verifying” has meant in previous years.

… as I finished writing and was just about to post, one more snippet of news came in: the police have apparently been put on high alert commencing 2pm and the MDC planning to do a press announcement this afternoon - no time given yet.

Suddenly it turns ominous. But I’m still buzzing, BUZZING!

OH….. and another flash of info just in (this is what it’s like today) news that people are starting to celebrate everywhere.

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More news just in. Another colleague just spoke to a senior officer in the riot squad who told him the security forces have been advised of the results and he should prepare to celebrate when the official announcement comes.

OK, my colleague wouldn’t celebrate for a Bob victory so he’s saying the opposition have won.

Another friend sent an sms saying ‘hooters in Harare’ and tears of joy from his long time activist colleague.

However, someone else, when we called to check, said ‘all quiet’ where he was in Harare.

A bubble of excitement (dampened by confusion) is growing inside me.

But it’s all unofficial. It’s unofficial; but I’m trying not to jump up and down.

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As we all wait with bated breath for results, word from a colleague in Harare is that he spotted scores of Mercs and 4×4s hurtling towards Zanu PF headquarters at top speed disregarding red lights. What’s up, we wonder?

News already out is that the MDC have claimed victory.

Tendai Biti, secretary general of the main MDC opposition party, told diplomats and observers overnight that early results posted at polling stations showed the MDC was victorious. “We have won this election, we have won this election,” he said.

The BBC have an item though which says the government has warned the MDC to not claim victory:

Results may not be finalised for some days and the government warned the MDC not to declare an early victory.

And so does Reuters:

Zimbabwe’s security forces, which have thrown their backing firmly behind Mugabe, said before the election they would not allow a victory declaration before counting was complete.

“It is called a coup d’etat and we all know how coups are handled,” government spokesman George Charamba told the state-owned Sunday Mail.

I wonder if the activity spotted in Harare this morning is a sign of pure panic? If so they be having a small taste of what its been like for us trying to live here the last few years. Panic about fuel, food, our jobs. Can’t say I’m feeling sorry for them.

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Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) is gravely concerned about the election management process following observations in the first half of Election Day. A team of ZLHR accredited observers spent the morning of 29 March 2008 visiting several polling stations in pre-dominantly high-density neighbourhoods in and around Harare including Mbare, Highfields, Budiriro, Kuwadzana, Dzivarasekwa and Glen View. This team made several observations which raise credible fears that the ability of voters to fully express their democratic rights is being unconstitutionally restricted.

In all of the polling stations visited, there was a heavy police presence both at the gates entering polling stations as well as inside the polling stations themselves. This presence has been recently authorised through presidential decree, ostensibly to assist those who are unable to vote due to disability, illiteracy, amongst other reasons. However it seems to have had the effect of intimidating voters waiting to cast their ballots.

ZLHR observers reported the presence of armed police in polling stations in Gwanda. This appears to be a strategy in conjunction with other armed services, such as the army in Gweru, to further intimidate voters.

The team noted that there were unacceptably long queues at most of the polling stations and late opening thereof in the first few hours of voting due to a critical shortage of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) staff. This resulted in voters being shuttled from one queue to another before finally being able to cast their ballot. ZLHR fears that this shortcoming may have resulted in a large number of voters abandoning the queues from frustration and the agitation caused by such delays. We note, however, that those who did manage to cast their ballots were positive and excited about having succeeded in exercising their right to vote.

One of the most disconcerting issues was the continued and wide-spread disenfranchisement of Zimbabwe citizens from the voting process, as ZLHR predicted in its Pre-Election Statement.

Voters were turned away when they failed to produce renunciation of citizenship certificates in addition to their national identity document. This flies in the face of established and continuously re-affirmed precedent which categorically states that persons born in Zimbabwe are citizens by birth - a position clearly articulated in the Zimbabwean Constitution and supported by the courts and Parliament - and do not need to renounce an entitlement to a potential foreign citizenship (on the basis of ancestry) which they have never claimed.

At each of the polling stations which availed their statistics, so-called “aliens” had been denied their right to vote. For example, by 10:00hrs in Kuwadzana, Ward 37, thirteen people had been denied their right based on the decision by electoral officers that they were aliens, whilst at another polling station 50 of 250 people were turned away.

The electoral authorities continuously ignore the clear precedents set by the Supreme Court relating to citizenship laws. This amounts to gross contempt of court and therefore a particularly serious violation of the rule of law concept and the fundamental rights of the affected persons.

ZLHR calls upon the ZEC to take immediate measures to ensure that all voters have the ability to exercise their right to vote, which include:

• Ensuring that police officers play a minimal and less visible role in the voting process to stop the intimidation of voters;
• Ensuring that all persons on the voters’ roll who produce their national identity card or passport be allowed to cast their ballot without impediment such as having to produce the renunciation of citizenship certificates; and
• Urging all persons who have been refused the right to vote due to the tenuous demand that they produce renunciation of citizenship certificates to return immediately to their polling station and insist on casting their vote, seeking legal assistance where necessary;

Election Alert No. 3: ZLHR Press Release (29 March 2008)

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The elation at this morning’s queues is turning to quiet despair. Most of the country is reporting queues have dwindled to a trickle.

Bulawayo:
This incident, reported earlier today, is now confirmed: Another unconfirmed report has come in that Judith Ncube, a Zpf candidate, from Emakandeni had her house bombed. Apparently she is hurt, but not critical.

Bradfield polling station, Bulawayo:
Bradfield polling station has turned away at least 40 out of 320 voters. One woman had checked the voters roll in February and found her name there, but today it was gone.

City Hall, Bulawayo:
At least 58 out of 900 people turned away.

Zvimba East:
The Zanu PF candidate, Patrick Zhuwao, Mugabe’s nephew is apparently very worried about his seat in the House of Assembly. People in the previous no go home ground for the Zezuru Mugabe family are brazenly showing support for the opposition.

Gwebi:
Frank Sada, a candidate for the Zanu PF rural district council is drunkenly cavorting just metres from the command centre. When the opposition supporters went to the police to report this they were turned away and no follow up was carried out by the ZRP.

In the same area newly acquired tractors were seen ferrying people to a beerhall – so much for feeding the nation.

Hillbury Estates:
Mitch Whaley and opposition polling agents were beaten by Zanu PF supporters and a CIO operative at around 2am. The incident was reported to the police.

Nyabira Primary School Polling Stations:
30 people are waiting in the queue to vote and when the officials realized the opposition polling agent knows an MDC supporter from a support team, he was rejected from the station.

Chiredzi:
Polling stations in Tshovani township and others in Mkwasine have run out of ballot papers and they are turning voters away.

Bubi:
This previously hotly contested area is reporting a well organized election process. ZEC officials and the police have behaved impeccably and the turn out is exactly as expected. They believe counting will start on time.

The resettled farms in this area are showing a determined boycott of the vote. Previously these “new farmers” participated in chasing off commercial farmers and were staunch zpf supporters. Now they are refusing to participate in the vote at all in defiance of threats issued by the likes of Clifford Sibanda, the Zanu PF House of Assembly candidate claiming they are sick and tired of being forced by Zanu PF to do what they are told. They were “donated” maize recently which proved to be rotten and impossible to mill.

Not one Zanu PF vehicle has been seen in this area today.

Umguza:
Despite long term intimidation by Zanu PF Minister, Obert Mpofu, widely believed to be directly behind the murder of Martin Olds, the area is reported to be quiet and orderly.

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This first hand experience emailed to us from a subscriber. We’ve edited it to conceal identities:

My wife and I voted at St Johns School. The whole process took no more than 20 minutes. Pretty well organised.

My gardener also voted at St Johns, but my maid, who has also voted at the same polling stations as us was turned away at St Johns, Borrowdale Primary School and Greystone Park School.

At the latter, I went into the so-called command centre filled with almost a dozen policemen and one lady sitting at a computer. I queried the latter as to why my maid, one JM [full name supplied] was not on the Harare North voters roll since she had voted in this constituency in the past.

In front of my very eyes the computer monitor shows up at least half a dozen JM’s.

The operator quickly removed that page from the screen which I had observed - but she did confirm that this JM (matched her ID) was on the voters roll for Ward 42 - Hatcliffe, I was informed.

She even gave me the page number - [page and line number supplied] - to facilitate locating the name on that register.

I helped J off with return bus fare to Hatcliffe and await to learn whether she will be successful.

My gardener reported that he came across several people who had been turned away at St Johns polling st. I spoke to a young white lady at Borrowdale Primary School who was not on the voters roll as previously. She walked off without any intention of taking the matter further.

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Another of our workers just got home.

He slept at his polling station last night and says he was in the company of hundreds of people doing the same.

They will be returning tonight to wait for the vote to be posted on the door of the station.

He tells me that one school is home to two polling stations and the queue endless.

He also tells me that they are openly speaking in front of the police, saying today is the last day of tyranny.

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My 85 year old mother left her apartment block at 6.30 this morning to walk to the nearest polling station where they have been voting for years. She set off on foot with 3 friends, a foreign woman living here for 50 years, an Ndeble woman who retired from working in the media some years ago, and the last is an ex-zanu pf freedom fighter and retired party employee.

The motley crew arrived at the station and were turned away. They were told to head to another station, but being elderly the distance seemed too great.

A good Samaritan took pity on them and loaded them all into his aged vehicle, using his precious fuel to ferry them to the next station in the ward. Again, they were all turned away.

Finally at the third station they were allowed to vote.

Right now, they are drinking a celebratory cup of tea but sadly, no milk; they couldn’t get any yesterday.

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My teenage daughter got an sms last night which made me cry, for she cannot remember a day in her young life that Zimbabwe has not meant being threatened by tyranny, state brutality, the possibility that her home can be taken away and that the economy is in a permanent state of freefall.

She harbors an overwhelming mistrust for authority and she is confused about our world.

This id the message she got from a friend…

“May tonight be the last night we spend worrying and tomorrow be the dawn of change and a new Zimbabwe. Be safe and much love xxx.”

May the dreams of Zimbabwe’s children come true on the 29 March 2008.

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Voting average times per polling station are averaging at around 35 to 40 votes being cast per hour. Each polling station serves approximately 1000 registered voters. If there is a 50% turnout then voting should take about 12 ½ hours. However, most people believe turnout is going to be far higher. It is going to be a long day.

Chinhoyi
We are still waiting for confirmation on a story that Ignatius Chombo was arrested here yesterday when he was found in possession of ballot boxes stuffed with votes.

Chinhoyi and Karoi
People are openly waving the MDC greeting. In the last elections these were no go areas for the opposition and people would not have dared risk their lives for such action.

Masvingo
It has been confirmed that a certain brand of drain cleaner washes off the “indelible” ink used to prevent people from voting again.

Zvimba East (Mugabe home turf)
Heard about activists who just passed through a road block manned by the police. They tried to give the men in uniform Morgan for President stickers, but the cops declined, smiled and politely waved them off!

Bulawayo and Harare
Voting queues have tailed off and the streets are dead quiet. opposition candidates are pushing ZEC officials

Bulawayo
Another unconfirmed report has come in that Judith Ncube, a Zpf candidate, from Emakandeni had her house bombed. Apparently she is hurt, but not critical.

Countrywide
Rumours are abounding that there is a hit list for specific opposition leaders.

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The ballot papers are not colour coded in totality. The Presidential, Senatorial and House of Assembly papers are white with a block at the top denoting the relevant colour for the vote type, white for Presidential, green for Senatorial and blue for House of Assembly, MP. Only the Council papers are entirely yellow. Each voting sector has its own box, and is marked by a small strip of colour. It is not easy for an illiterate person to cope with the procedure. Already one man at a station in Bulawayo, the fifth to vote in his ward, made the error of putting all four papers into the first box for President. At least his vote for President will be valid, the rest are spoilt.

Harare
Yesterday a group of French speaking West African observers were seen at a popular Portuguese restaurant in the city centre. They arrived at noon and by 6 pm were still ensconced at their table, swigging imported wine and in no fit state to carry out their duty. So much for reliable observers.

This morning in Harare the streets are quiet with few cars on the road. The queues are growing with Avonlea already into a thousand people waiting.

Troops have been seen in carriers prowling the streets. Apparently they are showing their pink fingers to the people they pass, proud they have voted!

Police at one police station were seen parading in riot gear.

Apparently a young woman in Harare whose father is in the police has information that there was widespread rigging in the police postal ballot. However she is too afraid to go online and report it to the Zimbabwe Democracy Now’s initiative to pay handsome rewards for this kind of information.

Bob has been spied careering around in party regalia, this is meant to be illegal.

Karoi
6 additional stations were opened overnight. The polling agents for the opposition have had to split up to cover their duties, meaning each station now has only one opposition agent per station.

Gokwe
Low flying jets circled this rural area early this morning. The intimidation there is growing.

West Zvimba
A group of 9 MDC supporters and polling agents were attacked by over 100 Zanu PF supporters. One of the polling agents was put under house arrest and told not to bother to do his job. He has already left his house and is determined to carry out his duty. His bravery is formidable.

Kariba
An unconfirmed report has come in that only one polling station is serving the whole of Kariba town. People started queuing yesterday to make sure their voices are heard.

Bulawayo

Ward 2, Bulawayo East
19 polling stations were opened but without any opposition Polling Agents on duty. ZEC had “lost” the official accreditation forms and all the agents had to go to the ZEC command centre to get copies of their forms made.

Voting average times per polling station are averaging at around 35 to 40 votes being cast per hour. Each polling station serves approximately 1000 registered voters. If there is a 50% turnout then voting should take about 12 ½ hours. However, most people believe turnout is going to be far higher. It is going to be a long day.

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It’s a beautiful fine day in Zimbabwe. I have made my mark and the feeling is one of overwhelming satisfaction. Last night I couldn’t sleep with the mounting excitement jolting me awake hourly! My 3am friend was second in the queue. She and her 5 sisters have done their work now it’s up to all Zimbabweans to protect their sacred rights.

By 6.45am the queue at my polling station was around 120 people and the atmosphere charged, people praying, sharing jokes and by and large determined to see change in Zimbabwe. Had there been any zpf voters there, they would have been wise to keep their opinions to themselves.

The doors opened at 7.10am. We were about no 40 and by 8.10 we were done. Left pinky daubed with cerise ink. The biggest hold up in the queue was at the point where the voters roll was checked. The woman manning this position does not know her alphabet and I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from reprimanding her.

Once I left the queue I stopped outside the station to commiserate with an old friend who was denied the right to vote. Sadly she had not checked the voters roll in February and her name had been struck. She is now considered an alien. She was born here. 5 of us stood in a small huddle, only she did not brandish her pink mark of pride. The teenage policeman on duty broke up our group, telling us we are not allowed to congregate outside a polling station, this constitutes a rally! We guffawed and moved on.

When I got home one of the workers had already voted at another station in the ward which has hardly any voters in the queue. When she got to the desk to receive her ballot papers, a female official on duty whispered to her,

“Yebo Ma, please vote nicely. It is you old Gogos always do the wrong things. You must not vote for this Madala [old man]”.

Ironically this old gogo’s husband has been arrested and beaten many times over the years for being an MDC activitst – she was preaching to the converted. However, this just goes to show.

Zimbabweans are ready, they have had enough.

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#1: Long queues in Harare

#2: Jets flying at low altitude today to cower rural people in Gokwe

#3: So far everything is going on well. Peaceful atmosphere. In some areas people started queueing as early as 3am. Voting started at 7am. But pace is slow, mainly due to the fact that people have to choose for four representatives from not less than 12 candidates.

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I have been watching all the international news broadcasts and specials on satellite TV tonight, not just tonight but for the last eight years, hoping for the news that mugabe and zanu were defeated, and that the time had come to finally have the opportunity to help this dear country and its great people reach full potential. That’s how long we have been at it.

In 2000 we listened to a prediction that mugabe would die in 2004 – unfortunately an inaccurate statement - but recall clearly how we said there was no way we would fight on for another four years and have to put up with all the zanu lies and abuse.

Eight years on and the national degradation across every aspect of Zimbabwean society is at its lowest in history. Somehow all the past abuse seems to disappear into some distant place in the mind as the only important issue right now are the outcome of the elections and the immediate period thereafter. There is a calm in this beautiful place in the bush, a familiar feeling that seems to haunt one just prior to election day.

The half moon, dressed in orange, is just rising on the horizon and above it rising in the clear sky sits the tail of Scorpio.

Don’t be fooled by the serenity, that devil is out there and in spite of what the people will say through the ballot, we know that mugabe will not just lie down and die, but that he and his henchman are planning yet another fraud.

Zimbabweans are of a peaceful and loving nature, but we have been subjected to decades of intimidation and polarization, fighting to not become another mugabe victim and statistic. I have to admit that I have not won that battle but the war is not over yet.

The past weeks have been full of many tails, which either begin or end with “ I heard it from the horses mouth”:

The Shona in mugabe’s rural strongholds have had enough and will not vote in his favour this time round.

The police and army who also have families to feed and fend for, will not back the old man any longer.

The Morgan supporters whose confidence grows daily, to now be proclaiming there will be a landslide.

Simba’s patrons believing that he is our only chance and will be victorious in his mission.

Who knows what will be, as we know that in the past elections of recent years, that even when the MDC won at the ballot, they did not end up taking charge and forming the government we all deserve.

Full of emotion, my hope is that both Morgan and Simba, supported by the real people of this nation, have the strength to reject yet another stolen election, and show us and the world that true leadership, capable of forming a true democratic society in the heart of Africa, has been born.

It’s going to be a long couple of anxious days and despite activism fatigue, I know that even if our dream comes true, our job will just be beginning – Democracy is worth fighting for but keeping it will require an even greater commitment.

Long time and future Sokwanele Activist

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So, what’s it like to be in urban zim right now? The first thing is the atmosphere has become electrically charged over the last 24 hours. I loved the response I got today from all the shops I went into, and believe you me, it was many shops for I was stocking up in siege mentality for what may be “the days of uncertainty” to come.

My favourite salutation of the day was, “See you for the independence party!” – it was great to see people smile for once.

One thing is for sure, there is a far greater sense of tolerance on the street in the urban areas. I cannot speak about the rural atmosphere as it has been over a week since I was there.

If you put aside political rhetoric, endless newscasts and internet surfing, you will hear what real Zimbabweans are really talking about. Everyone is wondering about Simba’s authenticity vs Morgan’s many sacrifices for democracy. There are a tiny minority who still support the regime, but when you approach the Mugabe t-shirt crew you discover that most of them are wearing them because they were given for free. There is debate and discussion and amazingly - tolerance.

I was parked at the traffic light coming home this evening from my long day of foraging for supplies, when an open truck came whizzing towards me filled with festive MDC supporters and halted on the opposite side of the busy intersection. I hooted and waved and I got a great shout of camaraderie and raucous cheering.

The next thing is one of three men in the van next to me raised a fist and shouted “Pamberi ne ZanuPF”. I waved at him with the open MDC gesture and shouted, “Goodbye ZanuPF!” The men laughed, the guy sitting on the back of the van threw me the clasped hand gesture coined by the Makoni gang, then the light (only one traffic light of four is actually working – hence the singular “light”) turned green and we all carried on down our separate yet combined potholed journey.

Tales are flying. I just had a call from a very connected friend who claims that the police have now all voted…. overwhelmingly against mad bob. Then there are the more than serious rumours that the CIO rigging machinery is hard at work… against bob!

Yesterday I had a call from a mate in Harare who spied 4 tanks and troop carriers heading towards the air base close to bob’s palatial home. Apparently a few fists were brandished in support of the armed forces, but the overwhelming response from the pedestrian filled route was one of extreme humour. People are openly laughing at the paranoia of the nutty dictator. He may frighten a few Zimbabweans with his bully boy tactics, but most sensible citizens understand these are the rabid rantings of a cornered dog.

There is a great anecdote I got from my painter who doubles as a pastor, this is one of my favourite stories of the week. Bob addressed an Apostolic community in rural Matabeleland last week, where it was requested that he did not use the church as a political platform. He finally got up to lead them in prayer, when he launched into a mad frenzy, shouting at the congregation “Chinja! (the slogan of the MDC since 2000) “Yes, there is change coming and it is coming fast, you must all work for change”. Apparently the church was stunned into silence and he simply stepped down from the podium and slunk off. He really has gone bonkers.

I have just put down the phone to a close friend who is getting up at 3 am – she wants to be the first to vote for hope, for our well deserved positive destiny. Her 5 sisters will be joining her with their picnic baskets and blankets, waiting for the sun to come up and the chance to be a part of something great.

Just for one day we will allow ourselves to feel hope.

Then, we will wait the painful wait for election results in Zimbabwe.

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