Rent-A-Crowd Boos Tsvangirai Off The Stage In London

The Prime Minster of Zimbabwe is on a tour of western capitals to seek $20 billion needed to kick-start Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is broke and if the transitional government that MDC is now part of is to work then money is needed. In blunt terms if you really want Mugabe to go then the Western governments have to start giving this transitional government a chance. Tsvangirai is on his last leg of the tour and on the 19th of June 2009, he arrived in UK. UK is home to over a million Zimbabweans some who have fled Zimbabwe to seek refuge in Britain. It was then arranged that he addresses Zimbabweans at the Southwark Cathedral and he did, the drawback being that his speech was cut short by Rent-A-Crowd boos whose interest is to see Zimbabwe in perpetual turmoil.

At the heart of their grievance is the fact that Tsvangirai uttered the unsaid by asking the exiles to begin considering going back home. You see to these people Tsvangirai should not have entered in the GNU with Mugabe, regardless of the fact that most ordinary Zimbabweans who had born the brunt of this regime at the height of its brutality support this transitional arrangement. A recent poll conducted in Zimbabwe showed that 80% of the population supports it. The GNU has offered people of Zimbabwe some respite albeit on a small scale. Affordability is another issue on its own but clearly there has been progress, food that was empty from shelves not so long ago is now back on the shelves. Schools have re-opened, there is a semblance of normalcy that is returning. Yes there are still human rights issues in Zimbabwe but using the metrics of brutality previously set by Zanu its a little bit better than say just after the announcement of the stolen election. If the people that booed are waiting for a perfect Zimbabwe where everything is as it says on the tin then I one-way tickets for them to Utopia.

See at the heart of the problem is selfishness, if I am okay then I cannot worry about the second person. Its myopic thinking because as a nation our fate is interlinked. I narrated it here before when I was bemoaning the loss of support from the so-called professional Zimbabweans working in UK. The apathy to the long suffering of Zimbabwe is rooted in the belief that as long as I am working then I can support my relatives at home. But can you also provide an ambulance service, even if you buy them that big flat screen TV, you cant buy electricity, you might buy a generator but what of if there is no fuel? The issue of whether MDC joins Zanu PF in a transitional arrangement has never been about us exiles, look we took the easy route out of Zimbabwe, it has and will always be about Zimbabweans back at home.

How does one marry the fact that Morgan is on a tour of Western Capitals to seek financial aid for his fragile government which he is touting to Western governments as making progress then he turn around at the Southwark Cathedral and say its not safe to go back home. No one would have given him any penny had he said that, no that he lied so he could get the money. Around 4-5 million Zimbabweans left home, many educated, with skills that can make a difference to a free Zimbabwe. So it was right for him to ask people to start considering to come back home given how much Zimbabwe has suffered from the brain drain. He never said anyone should pack their bags and catch the same flight he will catch when he returns to Zimbabwe. Considering to go back home is not something that you would do at a fly, but from the boos in the crowd you would think that Tsvangirai had said there is a bus waiting outside to take them to Zimbabwe.

No one is being force to go to Zimbabwe, whether one returns or not is entirely an individual choice. Asylum is a sensitive issue to Zimbabweans, some have been here for donkey years and their claims have not been entertained. But its wrong to think that Tsvangirai's statement would force Home Office to have a blanket policy on Zimbabwe. Asylum cases are decided on an individual basis, no comments or encouragement from Zimbabwe's PM to come back home would jeopardise a genuine case of fear. Half of the time when I have casual discussions with my friends is that they cannot stand living here they moan the Zimbabwe of the yesteryears and wish they could just go back and live their lives.

We met with Tsvangirai later for Dinner he assured us he was under no illusion about the situation in Zimbabwe. He said simply as a person who also born the brunt of the brutality of Mugabe's regime people should give him the benefit of doubt when it comes to the progress of GNU.

The Low Down On Zimbabwe

Like many Zimbabweans I hoped that the recently signed Global Political Agreement (GPA) by the three principals of the parties involved in perennial Zimbabwean saga namely MDC- Tsvangirai and MDC-Mutambara and the demonic Zanu PF would offer respite to millions of Zimbabweans who for over 10 years have suffered horribly at the hands of Zanu PF. Just yesterday News Of Black Interest was reporting that we have the highest per capita dependency on food aid. Instead the GPA is like a mirage in dessert, it offers hopes but delivers a startlingly different reality.

Look at the current behaviour of Zanu PF, their breaches of the terms of the GPA, the unilateral re-appointments of the Central Bank Governor Gono and the Attorney General Tomana. There is the continuing flagrant breaches of human rights, the harassment and arbitrary arrests of MDC activists, journalists and lawyers. If that was not enough add odd behaviour that all staff employed by Prime Minister Tsvangirai has not been paid now for over 3 months, apparently Zanu PF is refusing to recognise them as civil servants. Recently The Prime Minister was turned away from a State banquet at the State House. There is the issue of continued invasion of farms.

What Zanu PF is showing is its defiance and on the other hand MDC is showing tenacity to opened avenues of government. What needs to be answered is whether Zanu PF still holds all the cards. Some of their strength is slipping away; one clear example of that is structure of the Ministry of Finance. Biti does not have a deputy that was in response to Zanu PF's demands that the Defence Minister will not be deputised. Its obvious the the shadowy military Junta named Joint Operations Command (JOC) made up of Zimbabwe's service chiefs, that actually rules Zimbabwe demanded that the Defence Ministry go to Zanu PF and that no MDC deputy to serve in this Ministry. It all goes back to the 2002 Presidential Elections when the JOC held a press conference and announced that they would not salute a President with no liberation war credentials. It would have been a climb down for them to salute an MDC Deputy Minister of Defence so they demanded that Defence will be served with one Minister.In a counter move MDC demanded that the Finance Ministry will have no deputy. Both are key ministries, its hard to decide which one is the most important. But think of it, Zanu PF managed to bankroll the suppression of ordinary Zimbabweans because they controlled the Treasury purse. If Biti's plans to circumvent Zimbabwe's Central Bank comes to fruitation then MDC will have not only matched Zanu PF but outwitted them.

Biti is planning to hold all loans, grants and aid in Africa's Development Bank, disbursing small amounts from that bank directly to the recipients on basis of when its needed. That way MDC will have ensured that Gono, the man who printed money in Zimbabwe will never be able to hold literal any penny that comes into Zimbabwe. I do not know what would happen if the economy picks up, I mean concerning revenue that the Government might generate from taxes and duties. I am sure Biti has a plan.

The other issue the structure of the GPA is such that Tsvangirai taken a bigger chunk of the government. If my estimates do not fail me then all members of MDC's National Council which is made up of Provincial Chairpersons, The National Executive, The Management Committee have been absorbed into the government. It might not make much difference or can also be met with accusations of a bloated cabinet however Tsvangirai has realised its better to fight Zanu PF on its own turf. Yes time will tell whether the idea will work or not.

Lastly remember that the GPA is temporary that means that once we have a new constitution then elections will be held again in Zimbabwe. For now we are watching Zanu PF and we have a couple of tricks as well up our sleeves. Like calling the AU to mediate. As for the pleas for financial aid from the Prime Minister, I think the West should heed those pleas, because if GPA fails because of lack of money it might precipitate demise of MDC.

I am back again soon to talk about Aid to Africa in general, till then Tara.

I am back

Hey how have you been?

I took a long breather, a lot of things happened, me and my wife were blessed with a baby boy we named Johnta, Tanatswa on Christmas day last year. So taking care of the older brother Dashiel, helping his mommy as well gobbled up most of my time.

Add work, voluntary work, also maintain the MDC UK & Ireland website and my studies it takes a bigger toll.

However my love for Zimbabwe compels me to write again sometimes one gets so outraged at the slow process of change.

The Global Political Agreement (GPA) that MDC and Zanu PF agreed to gave people hope that the situation in Zimbabwe might finally change. But events in Zimbabwe say something different.

I am back and I will be posting soon my analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe.

Skepticism Surrounds The Motives of The Dictatorship

I am skeptical about the talks that are set to resume between our MDC and the Zanu PF in South Africa today. My main worry is the motive of the dictator and his military junta? What do they hope to achieve by the talks? Because surely they can not suddenly claim a heartfelt need to solve the political crisis in Zimbabwe that has been going on for over 10 years now. The events in Zimbabwe speak for themselves, the violence against MDC members and still carries on with impunity over 1000 MDC officials and members are still in custody, to date 110 people have died since the start of April this year all victims of a state concerted effort to destabilise MDC members and instill fear in innocent citizens and cow them into supporting Zanu PF. A few days prior to the MOU, Mugabe was vitriolic in his usual attack of the British blaming them for the 5 million percent inflation in Zimbabwe, he never looked nor sounded like a man with reconciliation on his mind, his wife as well joined in the verbal attack of President Morgan Tsvangirai the leader of MDC and the rightful winner of the March 29 elections. All I am saying is nothing in actions or demeanour of the dictatorship indicated that they really wanted to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Some of the critics of MDC say we will never negotiate from a position of strength after pulling out of the Presidential runoff that Mugabe then went on and declared himself a winner so he could negotiate from a position of strength. As usual the arm chair pundits are way off the mark, Mugabe and his junta never wanted to negotiate. At first they thought they had the April 27 runoff between Tsvangirai and Mugabe all wrapped up after the orgy of violence that they had meted out to MDC members they knew they were going to be winners predicting a low or no turnout of MDC voters. The violence was brutal, it left 10 000 homes destroyed, another 10 000 people requiring urgent medical attention, 250000 people internally displaced, 1000 MDC members in illegal detention over spurious charges and 110 people that lost their lives at the hands of bloodthirsty state machinery that was unleashed on innocent Zimbabwe citizens. MDC had no option than to pull out of the Presidential runoff. However the dictatorship welcomed the idea and went ahead with a shame election, as ridiculous as taking a penalty when they is no goal-keeper and surprise surprise there was one winner Mugabe. They hurried the inauguration and did it on a Sunday so that Mugabe could travel to AU summit in Egypt as a head of state. Despite the need for non-recognition of Mugabe as an illegitimate head of state as he predicated a few among his peers dared to declare his tenure illegitimate with Botswana only issuing the most strongest of terms. All the other African countries as I wrote here on this blog before are tyrannical and their tenures of office are equal questionable. So the expectation of many people that Mugabe would be rejected never happened. After the collapse of the British sponsored UN resolution to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe there was little left that could be done by the world to help the situation in Zimbabwe.

I do not even think it was the sporadic uncoordinated sanctions against the regime in Harare that pushed them to begin negotiations with MDC nor was it the EU targeted personal sanctions. Yes the shortage of watermarked currency paper that the dictatorship imported from Germany company was the one that pushed the regime. However I acknowledge that the collapsed economy is starting bite the very architects of the collapse. Inflation at 2.2 million officially but economists put it at 5 million per cent is the highest in the world and is unsustainable. I think that was one of the issues that forced the dictatorship's hand. The other one might be the choruses of disapproval mostly from African countries such as Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria...... amongst those most critical of the illegitimate regime led by the despot Mugabe.

If Zanu PF and its machinery are going through this with insincerity or as a charade to wood wink the world that they are ready to solve the crisis in Zimbabwe then the talks will break down. If Mugabe thinks he can engineer another coup by swallowing MDC as he did Zapu in the late 80s and giving MDC MP token cabinet positions then I can assure you again that the talks will break down. MDC will never accept piece-meal type of settlements that disregard that MDC is the majority party in the parliament and that Morgan Tsvangirai is the rightful winner of the Presidential elections. There is also the issue of the immunity and amnesty, Zanu Pf will try and coax immunity pledges from MDC in exchange of release of all detained MDC members and officials, but we will refuse it. If however as a measure of compromise immunity is offered to Mugabe and his junta it will be difficult to stop individuals that will seek justice of the atrocities that the junta ordered in a new Zimbabwe.

Whatever the motive of the dictatorship in entering the talks, MDC will be on its guard and we will never play second fiddle to the junta we will claim what rightfully is ours, the people given victory of March 29. Any other outcomes the dictatorship can continue in its ruinous rule of Zimbabwe and we shall see if they have the political wherewithal to revive the collapsed economy and improve the lives of ordinary people.

PRESIDENT MORGAN TSVANGIRAI'S STAMENT AS MDC WITHDRAWS FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF

The MDC won the March 29th elections despite conditions that were far from free and fair. Our party’s message of peaceful, democratic change and rebuilding a New Zimbabwe enjoys the support of the vast majority of Zimbabweans.

Our election victory confirmed this to Mugabe and since that date, he and his supporters have been waging a war against the people of Zimbabwe.

This violent retributive agenda has seen over 200 000 people internally displaced and over 86 MDC supporters killed. Over 20 000 homes have been destroyed and over 10 000 people have been injured and maimed in this orgy of violence.

For the record, there are eight broad reasons why a free and fair election is impossible. Zanu PF has already subverted the run-off through the following:

STATE SPONSORED VIOLENCE

The police have been reduced to bystanders while Zanu PF militia commit crimes against humanity varying from rape, torture, murder, arson, abductions and other atrocities.

Zanu PF militia dressed in army regalia have been deployed to spearhead the terror campaign in the rural and urban areas. Armed Zanu PF youths are waging a terror campaign and have vowed that the MDC will not rule the county even if it wins.

The Joint Operations Command (JOC) is engineering a violent campaign to subvert the will of the people. The Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) has designed covert operations to destabilize the nation.

Zanu PF has set up over 3000 militia bases across the length and breath of the country in order to cow and intimidate MDC supporters into submission.

Death and hit squads are on the loose in all the provinces.

War veterans and Zanu PF youths are manning illegal roadblocks with impunity in complicity with the police.

The use of guns and arms of war by Zanu PF militia and war vets to campaign for Zanu PF has virtually militarized the election atmosphere.

All this is being done as State sponsored ploy to tilt the vote in favour of Zanu PF.

MDC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE’S CAMPAIGN

The regime has crippled the MDC Presidential Candidate’s campaign. MDC rallies have been banned. Court orders have been ignored. Today, Sunday the 22nd of June 2008, a mere five days before the run-off date, police refused MDC permission to hold its only Star Rally at the open space across the Harare Show Grounds. We successfully sought a High Court Order which granted us permission to proceed with our rally. Regrettably, armed Zanu PF thugs occupied the venue in order to prevent us from gathering. MDC supporters were attacked and cars were stoned at the venue. This happened in full view of the police.

Unlawful arrests of the MDC Presidential Candidate have been going on unabated. The public media has flatly refused to flight MDC adverts. To date, no single commercial has aired by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. There is a total blackout of the MDC in the public media in clear contravention of the SADC guidelines and standards governing a free and fair election.

The hate language and the vilification of the MDC Presidential candidate by the public broadcasters and public media is unprecedented. By denying us access to the media the regime has managed to deny the MDC access to the people.

DECIMATION OF MDC STRUCTURES

The MDC Secretary General, Hon. Tendai Biti and MP Advocate Matinenga are illegally detained. Over 2000 MDC supporters including our polling agents are in illegal detention. The arrests have targeted members of Parliament, Councillors, the MDC structures and election agents. Over 200 000 people have been internally displaced. The whole game plan is designed to cripple the MDC campaign.

THE ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION (ZEC)

The MDC is shocked by the level of partisanship of ZEC. We have lost confidence in ZEC. The organization has been staffed by war veterans and Zanu PF militia. In fact, as it stands now, ZEC is not in charge of the management of this election.

THE MEDIA

The media is under attack. There is a complete blackout of the MDC’s campaign. Journalists are being harassed and intimidated and foreign journalists barred from entering the country.

THE ZANU PF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

The Zanu PF candidate has no respect for the MDC, observers, the regional and international community. He has made public pronouncements to the effect that he will not accept defeat. He has declared war by saying that the bullet has replaced the ballot. The statement by General Chiwenga and Commissioner of Prisons Zimondi that they will not respect and accept the will of the people is regrettable and is a clear manifestation that a free and fair election is impossible.

PLANNED ELECTION RIGGING BY ZANU PF

The MDC has unearthed an elaborate and decisive plan by Zanu PF to rig the elections through the following measures:

1. Commandeering the uniformed forces to use the postal ballot and forcing them to vote in front of their superiors.
2. The prevention of MDC election agents to get to the polling stations through roadblocks and arrests.
3. The three Mashonaland provinces have been identified as rigging centres where ballots are going to be stuffed.
4. Villagers are having their national identity cards confiscated denying them their right to vote.
5. There is a plan to record the serial numbers of ballot papers so as to intimidate voters.
6. The holding of forced pungwes (overnight meetings) where MDC supporters are beaten and forced to undergo “re-education”.
7. The abuse of traditional leaders.
8. The use of massive violence as a weapon to influence the ballot.

CONCLUSION

Given the totality of these circumstances, we believe a credible election, which reflects the will of the people is impossible. We remain unreservedly committed to free and fair elections in the country. The conditions prevailing as of today do not permit the holding of a credible poll.

The militia, war veterans and even Mugabe himself have made it clear that anyone that votes for me in the forthcoming election faces the very real possibility of being killed.

Zimbabweans have also shown how brave and resilient they can be. They have withstood years of brutality, impoverishment and intimidation. They are dedicated to a New democratic Zimbabwe.

But, we in the MDC, cannot ask them to cast their vote on June 27th when that vote could cost them their lives.

Therefore, we in the MDC have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham of an election process.

The courageous people of this country, and the people of the MDC have done everything humanly and democratically possible to deliver a New Zimbabwe under a New Government.

We urge SADC, AU and the United Nations to intervene urgently in this unprecedented situation to restore the rule of law, peace, and conditions for a free and fair election.

We are going to articulate our vision and the way forward to the people of Zimbabwe and the world, after further consulting the people.

Finally, we salute and thank all the suppressed masses of Zimbabwe who have been maimed, raped, tortured, lost homes and properties in the pursuit of a noble cause of wishing to see a free and democratic Zimbabwe. I sympathize with you over the loss of your loved ones in these final phases of the struggle. Victory is certain, it can only be delayed.

I thank you.

President Morgan Tsvangirai

Xenophobia Shows Mbeki Has Been Abject Failure for Both Zim & SA

Today 42 people are dead, killed by rampaging xenophobic South Africans most of those affected are Zimbabwean citizens who had fled Mugabe's tyranny to seek refuge in South Africa for them to flee their new homes and are now seeking refuge at South African police stations whose occupants in turn had been bleeding the Zimbabweans dry through their solicitations of bribes which Zimbabweans grudgingly pay in order to avoid deportations. The blood of the 42 that have died horribly at the hands of their vile attackers is on Mbeki's hands who by his stubborn and often idiotic denial of a crisis in Zimbabwe and his shameful, unmitigated and unforgiven support for Mugabe has led to the eruption of xenophobia attacks on Zimbabweans.

If Mbeki had brains he would have acted long ago to revert this tragedy, in turn over 4 million Zimbabweans that left Zimbabwe to overcrowd South Africa's tinder boxes which was a time bomb waiting to explode with or without their presence. Many of the estimated 4 million Zimbabweans in South Africa are undocumented refugees referred by the Media as illegal immigrants as result of the dastardly policies of Thabo Mbeki who for 8 years since the Zimbabwean crisis began has refused to acknowledge there is a problem in Zimbabwe thereby legitimising the Zimbabwean refugees in SA. Its a common fact that many of the Zimbabweans in SA are educated, meaning that they were bringing much-needed skills to SA’s economy, even if some are doing more menial tasks to get by. As a result of their status and irregardless of their education they are forced to compete with poor South Africans many uneducated for the same class of low paid jobs. The country has managed to absorb up to five million economic migrants even as President Mbeki's administration has left 40 per cent of South Africans worse off than they were under apartheid. Crime is endemic, with 50 murders a day in Johannesburg alone. Education, for most, remains rudimentary at best. Mr Mbeki has personally deepened the human and economic toll of the Aids pandemic by refusing to acknowledge its extent or talk frankly about its causes, even though the South African economy has improved 40% of South Africans are unemployed, they live in shanty towns mostly located in the outskirts of the ghettos of Johannesburg the dream of a new South Africa that they were sold by the ANC is just an illusion as they are left to scavenge for a living through crime which is glorified as means to escape the poverty and taste the lifestyle of celebrities they worship. The end of apartheid has benefited those politically connected to the decision makers in the ANC, as the ANC politicians-turned-oligarchs, who have changed political "connectivity" into financial capital through black economic empowerment, are the government's strategy to quickly create black capitalists. Leaving the poor South Africans short changed who then vent their anger at foreigners the proverbial scapegoat for Mbeki and ANC's abject failure at governance

Mbeki's wanted to carve a legacy of his leadership through pan-africanism that he announced to the world through his famous I am An African speech which he gave 12 years ago on the eve of the adoption of the South African new constitution. How hollow his words are today when South Africans are murdering fellow Africans?

I am an African. I am born of the peoples of the continent of Africa. The pain of the violent conflict that the peoples of Liberia, Somalia, the Sudan, Burundi and Algeria is a pain I also bear. The dismal shame of poverty, suffering and human degradation of my continent is a blight that we share. The blight on our happiness that derives from this and from our drift to the periphery of the ordering of human affairs leaves us in a persistent shadow of despair. This is a savage road to which nobody should be condemned. This thing that we have done today, in this small corner of a great continent that has contributed so decisively to the evolution of humanity says that Africa reaffirms that she is continuing her rise from the ashes. Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now! Whatever the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace! However improbable it may sound to the sceptics, Africa will prosper!

He failed to sell his pan-africanism to his countrymen, all the rhetoric about African renaissance is hogwash what is African Renaissance when South Africans are murdering, raping their African brothers and sisters for not being South African? He failed to educate his countrymen about the role that African played in bringing apartheid down.

Most of the leadership of ANC went into exile just before or after the Rivonia trial that imprisoned Mandela amongst them were; Thabo Mbeki who lived in here in UK and also lived in Botswana, Nigeria and Zambia, Joe Slovo also lived here in Britain, Angola, Mozambique and Zambia, Ducie September who was assassinated in Paris lived in Zimbabwe, Zambia before leaving to head the ANC office in France where she was assassinated, Oliver Tambo lived here in Britain and in Zambia, Mduduzi Mbele also lived here in Britain and in Zimbabwe where he taught me History as a lower six at Chaplin High School in Gweru, Tomas Titus Nkobi one time ANC treasurer general was a Zimbabwean by birth who naturalised to a South African when his Zimbabwean father was working in the mines. He was at Adams College of Education in KwaZulu Natal with Joshua Nkomo, the Zimbabwean Vice President and Bernard Chidzero, the Zimbabwean Minister of Finance and Dr. Ntsu Mokhehle, the Prime Minister of Lesotho. All these and many other too numerous to list individually were welcomed by their fellow African brothers during the dark days of apartheid across the whole of Africa. The hospitality came at a cost for Africans, the death of Samora Machel amongst the body littered debris as apartheid government carried military insurgents in the neighbouring countries in search of members of Umkonto we Sizwe. A free South Africa would have been inconceivable had it not been for the solidarity and hospitality shown to South Africans by their African brethren and this is the thanks they get?

The World Needs To Help Zimbabwe

ZEC finally announced the much awaited Presidential poll result more than one month since the polls were held. They had time to doctor the results to what they wanted that gave Morgan Tsvangirai 47.9% against Mugabe's 43.2% insinuating that a runoff is needed. MDC has rejected the projected figures and also refused to acknowledge the figures that ZEC announced that points to a runoff. MDC has also tallied they own figures collated from the provinces for the presidential vote which were in the public domain 24 hours after the poll. Its a matter of simple arithmetic taking figures from each constituency at provincial level before tallying the figures nationally. MDC's results indicate there is no need for a runoff as we won 50.7% of the votes against Mugabe's 43.2%. What is clear from the illegal government's results is an attempt to subvert the will of the people of Zimbabwe who have dumped Mugabe and his blood thirst Zanu PF. There is no need for MDC to participate in the runoff because we won the elections, neither is there a need to negotiate a government of national unity with Zanu PF which is also amongst the plans by the military junta.

The state perpetrated violence on MDC members or people suspected to have voted for MDC in the past harmonised elections whose results have been partially announced has been escalating of late. 5000 people have been displaced more than 800 homes have been burned. The death toll now stands at 20, 5 of the murders were within a space of 4 days. Tabitha Marume was shot and killed by soldiers at Chiwetu Rest Camp, Percy Muchiwa, a teacher in Guruve was on Monday beaten to death by Zanu PF supporters in Bakasa area. In Mashonaland Central Bigboy Zhuwawo and Tenos Manyimo died on Sunday after being attacked by Zanu PF militants. The 5th murder was that of Clemence Dube who was also attacked in Poshai Village of Shurugwi in the Midlands province. Dube was an MDC polling agent during the March 29 election and the violence seems designed to ensure that prospective polling agents in a run-off will be reluctant to participate. This is a humanitarian crisis of gigantic proportions which now needs the intervention of the United Nations. It is a disaster that the international community is ignoring.

The violence is meant to displace MDC voters and hand Zanu PF victory in the runoff that the military junta is preparing. The other plan is to unleash so much violence and murder as many people so that it forces MDC to negotiate and participate in a government of national unity just like what happened in Kenya. The other plan is to kill some of the newly elected MDC MPs and then hold by-elections which Zanu PF will win either through violent intimidation, displacement of voters which is laredy underway and outright rigging.

We also hear that the proposed runoff might be delayed for over 1 year, anything is possible with this regime, given that it took them more than 1 month to collate and count votes for 2.5 million people. It beggars belief why Mugabe and his junta ever bother about elections, especially with disdain for democratic principles and the violence leashed with impunity on ordinary Zimbabweans? The world must help stop Mugabe in order to save the lives of people of Zimbabwe. The problem in Zimbabwe is far too immense for MDC to solve it own its own. Yesterday 59 members of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were severely beaten and illegally detained and 11 of the women's whereabouts are unknown after they staged a demo to demand the end of political violence.