Mugabe Set to Claim Victory

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200803311186.html


Institute for War & Peace Reporting (London)


NEWS
31 March 2008
Posted to the web 31 March 2008

By Joseph Sithole
Harare

In what can best be described as a shock result, President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party are about to announce victory for Mugabe in the parliamentary and presidential elections, according to unofficial results leaked from the ZANU-PF and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, ZEC, command centres.

But sources within the ZEC centre - newly christened the National Collation Centre - say Mugabe clearly lost the election to his opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai, polling only 20 per cent of the vote. He is also said to trail Simba Makoni who garnered 28 per cent.


Tsvangirai is said to be leading but just failed to get the requisite 50 per cent plus one vote. According to ZANU-PF sources at the collation centre, ZEC is about to announce that the ruling party won by 111 seats, with some rural constituencies recording huge victories for Mugabe.

The sources said in Mugabe’s traditional strongholds, such as Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe, he won with huge margins of more than 30,000 votes, with Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, president Tsvangirai getting as few as 2,000 votes.

But commentators say it would be something of a miracle if Mugabe and his party had secured the victory, given more than 85 per cent unemployment, serious food shortages and a collapsed health delivery system.

IWPR could not get the exact percentage by which Mugabe will be said to have won but the sources said there would not be a run-off, as ZANU-PF will claim Mugabe has clinched more than 50 per cent of the total number of voters cast.

Some of the ruling party’s heavyweights that have fallen include Minister of Women Affairs Oppah Muchunguri, Agriculture Minister Joseph Made, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Minister of Energy and Power Development Mike Nyambuya, and Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu.

The supposed election results, if ZEC goes ahead to announce them, are likely to be condemned locally and internationally. The election will be viewed as stolen because of voter intimidation and allegations of vote rigging.

There are already reports coming from the United States saying sanctions, currently targeted at Mugabe and his close associates, would be intensified if the ballot were not free and fair. The same is likely to come from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other western countries.

But what is more worrying now is how Zimbabweans are going to receive the result, especially after the MDC has been saying it “has won this election beyond any reasonable doubt”.

Zimbabweans cast their votes at the weekend amid indications the poll was already stolen, with reports of stuffed ballot boxes being discovered in Mashonaland Central and Masvingo provinces. The opposition parties and independent candidates had already alleged that Mugabe was going to rig this election to avoid a humiliating loss.

The MDC last week uncovered gross irregularities in the voters’ roll, showing thousands of voters supposedly living on what turned out to be open ground. According to the voters’ roll, 65 per cent of voters registered in Harare North live on a piece of land that used to belong to the Ernest Kadungure housing co-operative.

However, upon visiting the area, the MDC found that it was one of the areas where shacks were demolished during Operation Murambatsvina, when the government destroyed homes in areas that were perceived to be MDC strongholds.

The Pan-African Parliament, PAP, at the close of voting on March 29, raised concerns with ZEC chairman George Chiweshe.

In a letter to Chiweshe, PAP Election Observer Mission leader Marwick Khumalo said it saw no evidence that there were any residents in Ward 42, which is deserted land with a few wooden sheds, despite voters from that deserted ward being listed on the voters’ roll. The Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe, CCZ, has said whatever the outcome of the results of the general elections, the process will not be a true and legitimate expression of the democratic will of the people of Zimbabwe.

CCZ spokesman McDonald Lewanika said civil society in Zimbabwe deplored the recent comments by service chiefs saying that they would not accept the election of any presidential candidate but Mugabe.

Army commander Constantine Chiwenga and head of the prison services retired Major-General Paradzai Zimondi announced they would not salute anyone but Mugabe, while police chief Augustine Chihuri said he would not accept an opposition victory.

Lewanika also condemned statements by Mugabe, who has been using threatening and intimidating language in speeches to the electorate.

In Bulawayo, Mugabe told a rally that voting for the MDC would be a waste of time and that he would not allow the opposition party to rule Zimbabwe. Tsvangirai said in an interview recently that if Mugabe won the election, “it’s dead end for the country”.

Once-prosperous Zimbabwe is suffering from the world's highest inflation rate of more than 100,000 per cent, chronic shortages of food and fuel, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that has contributed to a steep decline in life expectancy.

Joseph Sithole is the pseudonym of an IWPR-trained journalist in Zimbabwe.

More propaganda ???? Its been more than 24 hrs and we still dont have the final result! So much for the writer's credible sources! I think all these poeple writing form London are secretly wanting Mugabe to win.After all they are mostly false asylum seekers and it is in their best interest for Mugabe to stay otherwise bayakudla bayibayi!!!

Mabila - "dont boil". Just like in 1980, that country has not had free and fair elections. The British rigged that election of 1980 in favour of Mugabe. Remember then that ZAPU and ZANU had agreed to contest the election as PF. Mugabe had agreed to that. However when the MI5 (british inteligence) infiltrated the whole thing, Mugabe was assured of victory if he promised he would not touch the farms that Josh wanted to take. That explains why attempts at land reform are done 17yrs down the line.

Who organised the vote in 1980? British. Who counted: British. Who announced the results: British. Smith was told to shut up and ever wondered why Mugabe never touched Smith's farm and yet he killed ordinary people in Matland? He was getting money from the British. Nawe Mabila you would have brought Smith before the courts for killing so many people. Honestly I believe you would have done that. BUT NOTHING. Okukhulu akula mkhosi.

ZAPU made 'tactical mistakes" by declaring at the Wankie declaration in 1979 that should it win, it was going to assist uMkhonto weSizwe fight amabhunu. Recall that guys like the late Chris Hani worked and fought in Zim nabo Dabengwa. Add to that was ZAPU's logo that had 'land nebutho eliphethi ngane".

The international capitalists were not interested in a gvt that would "disturb" them in South Africa since they "were not yet done with exploiting South Africa". ZAPU was therefore a threat to them - hence eliminate it. Mugabe just like Saddam were supported by western powers to push forward their agendas and they did that. But later, Mugabe was dumped by the British.

And today we are still witnessing the skill Mugabe was taught by his masters to 'win' elections. Infact it is wrong to expect Mugabe to lose an election. I do not see that happening. Like you indicated, Mugabe said that voting Morgan would be a waste. What does that tell you? Simple. "I Robert mgabe Mugabe will throw away Morgan's vote. Its that simple. But zonke yizinja lezi ziyabhebhana zixakelene.

I think you voted in 1980 Mabila or have a relative who did. Was there a voters roll then or did people just bring ID copies with them? In some cases they took with them municipality bills. 1980 was a British fraud and so have been subsequent elections. Mugabe will understand only a bullet. All other things are a waste of time. I am waiting to see what happens but I doubt there will be change. I doubt if he steals the vote there would be chaos. Maybe from within ZPF.

Nkomo lost and was stunned. He (Josh)was the most popular person and Mugabe acknowledged that at the earlier's funeral. Nothing happened when Josh lost. Nothing, I dare say would happen today.

Who organises elections in Zim? Mugabe. Who votes? Mugabe. Who counts? Mugabe. Who announces winners and losers? Mugabe. Liqhude phela leli. Uz'shaya akhale.

Mfethu iyeke le. Sizoyicela isivuthiwe. I am waiting for a big surprise ngoba ubugwala obulapha buyangesabisa.

This is exactly what I expected would happen Ntombankala! The flawed election process in Zwimbagwe continues to legitimise misrule.

Liyazi bantu i'm so dissapointed ukuthi kulabantu emazweni who want ZANU to win coz abafuni kubuyela ekhaya, someone said openly that he hopes zanu rigs elections coz if they dont britain will send us back home if mdc wins...............It's sad that few thousand people outside the country wuld sacrifice millions of people to suffer just coz they want to stay in the western world, if muagbe had allowed postal votes, trust me he was going to win just coz people dont want to be sent back home, they were going to vote happily for zanu pf.
abantu basile impela phandle lapha, nxa bekhuluma they pretend as if they hate zanu but same time they are happy when it's winning.

Ngibona lapha ukuthi uJoice Mujuru won but last nite the BBC was telling us that she lost her seat? Where are they getting this information from? Why bona belokhe besugesta ukuthi if Tswangirayi has lost we might go the Kenyan way?This was the problem in Kenya as well they started telling the world that the opposition has won and agitated people when the results came back different. They then thought it would make very good television to watch and show the world as people where being attacked by machetes!!! Where were they when Gukurahundi was unleashed in MAtabs??? Whats in this for them now that wasnt there then??? Surely we all dont want that? Do we then just accept that Mugabe has won and put up with it or do we .. or should i say our brothers, oankeli , omama labantwabethu take to the street and get killed by Chiwenga and Chihuri? Would this be a just price to pay for democracy or maybe just to get Tswangson into the state house??? Asazi bakithi .Kuyahela

bathi umjuru oluzayo ngonye okade ekoBulawayo kodwa hatshi mina angimazi.
I dont know whats happening

I hate Twsangirayi and so do i hate Mugabe, but cheating is never right. Here it has nothing to do with the BBC or whites or whosoever are your imaginary enemies and also Mugabe's enemies by extension.

Molo Mabila, molo mshana, molo mani!

Ikhehla lisa phila laph' eMtuba. Lisa cakafula ngo dondolo, lilandela aba philayo. Inqobo uMvelinqangi esa vuma. Ehhene. Nakhona.

And then, you been away & quiet for a very long time. Now, can ikhehla celebrate yini? You know what I mean? Ngisho leya project yakho: seya phela na? All the best.

Well, I've been following this story yaKwaMgots closely. Uyazi, there's so many conspiracy theories on this issue of the delay of the results. I'd urge you to go to:

http://www.702.co.za/index.asp

This is the website of a very good talk radio laph' eMzansi. Just tune onto the audio streaming option uzizwele ngezakho izindlebe. It's a phone in & talk wayawaya - very little music. Many topics throughout the 24hrs of the day - but these days ke it's issues Mgots most of the time. Lapho ke uzozwa 9 9 izindaba ezintsha about these elections. And you'll hear bonke okleva no lopholo phoning in from all over the world - abelungu naba mnyama. It's a very good radio station leyana. Number 1! Kubuye njalo it's hosted by mostly abelungu - uzo bezwa bembiza 9 9 uMgots as "an absolute idiot".

Just izolo bebe no David Coltart kunye no Prof John Makumbe - fielding questions from different phone in people. Sad thing is, some unbalanced idiots (mostly blacks base Mzansi & Africa in general) seem to believe Mgots is the best thing since bread came sliced. But then again, it's all attributable to uku ngazi. They let their hatred for abelungu blind them from objectively assessing Mgots for what he really is: a complete moron!

Shamase Nkwali yenkosi
Umicondo yegusha
U-jacket lika 3 years!

Wazingani ukuthi the elections have been rigged? Angithi uzwe ngeBBc? All im saying is we should not be taking MDC's word as gospel ukuthi they ahve rigged elections ye UMujuru udliwe before the official results are out! Unless you are saying MDC is also accusing Mujuru of rigging ???Right now i breaking news on BBC is that a source has told them that MDc and Zandu are brokecing a deal for Bob to go.This is despite the fact that Tendayi BIti has denied the existance of such talks.lying is just as bad as cheating. The BBC should not be paddling propaganda and trying to inlfuence the electorate tp go the kenya way!!! They should report facts !!

• Please stop listening to the BBC if you think they don't report facts
• Read The Herald and listen to ZBC, they might be more acceptable to you
• The BBC did not report that Mujuru lost!
• The BBC were the first to break the Makoni news 2 months before he even came out. Abanye babethi bayantshuma!
• Is it only the BBC that is reporting these latest news?

I heard the Mujuru issue from the BBC.Just coz they broke the Makoni story does that mean then everything they say is gospel? What about the headline for this evening then about Mugabe 's supposed press conference??????Didi it happen? Even UBiti wakho is disputing that!!!All im asking for is responsible impartial and factual reporting!From the BBC or whoever else is reporting .I just happened to watch the BBC!!!We donot want a situ where people are being lead to believe the outcome of the election is that MDC has won when the results have not been officially announced.SO far the MDC has not contested any of the paly results that have been announced meaning they are happy with the result. MAybe lawe u should not read my comments if you dont like me to have a different view from yours

Bhudaza maybe you should read the column by abafokazi titled : The media cold war...... He did not write it but in it you will find different people's views .Im not the only one advocating for fair, accurate and responsible reporting.

Go and get your "fair, accurate and responsible reporting" from the Herald then, njengoba ngikutshelile.

very mature................

Ngivumelana lawe Mabila. Just look at the number of people who voted in Zimba and compare to countries with 100 million voters. Bathi belala on election night besazi ama results. I wonder what uMgaxa is up to now? His military generals and CIO, what happens to them? YiZanu yodwa phela yonke le.....

Manene nama Nenekazi

My profound apologies for ukuphuma kwi topic. I've got just one question. Just one question.

Please tell me, does anyone amongst you know, Gugulethu Moyo? I saw her speak issues M-g-o-d-o-y-i on BBC tv izolo. I think she's a lawyer with the International Bar Association.

Does anyone know her? Yinhloboni yomuntu? NgumShona or Ndebele?

Shamase Nkwali yenkosi
Umicondo yegusha
U-jacket lika 3 years!

Gugulethu Moyo
She is presently working at the London office of the International Bar Association. She was previously engaged as Programme Manager, designing a newly established Media Law and Policy Programme for the Media Institute of Southern Africa based in Windhoek, Namibia. She has been with the MISA since February of this year and before it has served as the Legal Advisor to Associated Newspapers Group of Zimbabwe, a private company. At the beginning of her career her focus was on was corporate legal practice, however now she is concentrating more on human rights advocacy with a particular focus on media freedom.

Ma ngingaphazami, liNdebele