The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.
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BBC
 
Mugabe's election masterplan
Ballot boxes
The government says the vote will be free and fair
test hello test
By Joseph Winter
BBC News Online
line

Robert Mugabe is pulling out all the stops to ensure that he wins the presidential elections on 9-10 March.

Less than a week before the poll, he issued a decree which effectively denies the vote to hundreds of thousands of young people without jobs, who are invariably opposition supporters.


There's no way that Mugabe will lose the election. And even if he does lose the vote, he won't give up power

Harare resident
This followed a Supreme Court ruling that the same measures had been improperly passed by parliament and were therefore unconstitutional.

Only after intense international pressure were any foreign election observers allowed.

And Britons and nationals of several other countries were banned, prompting the European Union to withdraw the team it already had in place.

More importantly, only 300 people from a list of 12,500 were accredited as local observers because most were deemed to work for anti-government organisations.

Criminal criticism

The authorities say that 22,000 civil servants will ensure everything is above board but there are fears that these may be susceptible to government pressure.

There are reports that many may be members of the security forces - Mr Mugabe's former comrades-in-arms.

 
 

In January, a new security law was passed which makes it a crime to criticise the president and yet another bill was finally passed by parliament - in spite of fierce opposition - which will stop independent journalists from writing stories which do not meet with official approval.

Following a spate of rulings against the government, several Mugabe sympathisers were named as judges, in the hope that legal challenges to such laws, or possibly future election appeals, by the opposition will be doomed to failure.

Click here to find out more about the controversial bills

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has been vilified as a "terrorist organisation" and officials warn of a US-style "war against terror".

The campaign of intimidation against MDC activists, especially in rural areas, is continuing - as is the confiscation of land belonging to white farmers who are accused of supporting the opposition.

Militias

Human rights groups say that more than 30 people have been killed this year - mostly opposition supporters.

Newly-trained militias are mounting roadblocks throughout the country. Anyone without a Zanu-PF membership card is told to purchase one at an inflated price or is beaten up.

 
 

A combination of the self-styled "war veterans" and the police has prevented many opposition rallies from going ahead.

The 78-year-old Mr Mugabe and his advisors are laying, one-by-one, the foundation stones of a very high wall around State House.

Some Zimbabweans who want change, buoyed by the MDC's strong showing in the June 2000 parliamentary elections, are losing hope.

"There's no way that Mugabe will lose the election," says one long-suffering Harare resident. "And even if he does lose the vote, he won't give up power."

Voters' verdict

And Mr Mugabe's military chiefs have given dark hints that they would not accept an opposition victory.

"Any change designed to reverse the gains of this revolution will not be supported," warned defence forces commander General Vitalis Zvinavashe.

Along with all of Zimbabwe's security chiefs, he said that the army would only support a president who had fought in the 1970s war of independence from white minority rule - ie not the opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.

 
 

Mr Tsvangirai was taken to court for warning that if Mr Mugabe does not step down, he would be removed from power by force.

The courts ruled that the treason charges were unconstitutional but just weeks before the election, Mr Tsvangirai was again charged with the same offence - this time after a mysterious video was found in which he allegedly discusses assassinating the president.

Despite everything, Mr Tsvangirai is contesting the poll and says he is confident of victory, due to Zimbabwe's economic meltdown.

A senior Zanu-PF official, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has said that Mr Mugabe will respect the verdict of the electorate.

But after taking such elaborate steps to win, it would come as a surprise to many, were Mr Mugabe to calmly acknowledge defeat and wish his successor well in the event that the vote did not go his way.

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Reuters

Zimbabweans flock to vote


09 March, 2002 08:22 GMT
 By Nicholas Kotch and Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans are voting in large numbers on the first day
of crucial presidential elections, with long queues at many polling
stations.

President Robert Mugabe faces the toughest challenge of his 22-year rule
from former trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai, who urged his supporters to
flood the more than 4,500 polls across the country.

A high urban turnout is thought likely to favour Tsvangirai.

Well before voting began around 7 a.m. on Saturday (5 a.m. British time),
voters wrapped in blankets against the cold formed long lines at polling
stations in poor parts of Harare -- strongholds of Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC).

"I could not wait to pass this vote. I came early to make sure I do," said
Japhet Dongo, who cast his ballot at a school in Glenview suburb after
waiting in a queue since midnight.

Under grey skies and in a light drizzle, at least a thousand people were
lined up at Glenview Number 2 primary school.

"This is what we have to say to the world -- we are voting today for our new
leader," one man said.

In Harare's Kambuzuma township, one queue stretched for two km (a mile) and
groups of boisterous youths gave the open-palm MDC sign to passing
motorists.

VIOLENCE CONTINUES

The violence which has marred the campaign for the closest election in
Zimbabwe's history continued right up to the poll.

The MDC reported on Friday night that 30 of its election

monitors were assaulted by ruling ZANU-PF militants with clubs and broken
bottles in Shamva, 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Harare.

Police detained 12 white farmers overnight after a confrontation with ruling
party militants who stopped them transporting MDC polling agents northwest
of Harare. The farmers were released early on Saturday.

The head of Norway's election observer team said the signs of a high turnout
were encouraging.

Kare Vollan told Reuters: "We are worried about the deployment of party
polling agents. We had some reports of problems overnight, mainly from the
MDC, but they are still to be confirmed."

Norway's 25 observers are the largest European team at the elections. The
European Union withdrew scores of observers before the vote after the
government banned those from Britain, Denmark, Germany, Finland, the
Netherlands and Sweden on the grounds that their governments were
pro-opposition.

In the second city of Bulawayo, long queues formed outside polling stations
hours before the vote started.

"I have been here since 4 a.m. because I am very anxious to vote. I want
somebody who will address my needs like the cost of living, which is now
very high," said Gatsheni Khumalo, a 29-year old accountant.

Tsvangirai has concentrated his campaign on Zimbabwe's crumbling economy,
with severe food shortages caused by drought and the violent occupation of
white-owned commercial farms, inflation at 117 percent and unemployment at
60 percent.

INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF CAMPAIGN

The violent campaign has drawn international condemnation and the MDC
accuses Mugabe of trying to steal the vote through intimidation, special
laws and dirty tricks.

The MDC estimates that 107 of its activists have been killed over the past
two years. Independent monitors say 33 people, most of them MDC supporters,
have died since January.

Denouncing foreign attempts to influence the country's internal affairs,
ZANU-PF has consistently denied it supports election violence and says its
supporters have been attacked.

The few opinion surveys point to a close finish.

Despite the power of Mugabe's government and its domination of the campaign,
some political analysts believe Zimbabwe's 13 million people are angry
enough at its economic collapse and the violence to oust the former
guerrilla leader.

The United States blasted Mugabe late on Friday.

"The government of Zimbabwe continues its blatant campaign of violence,
intimidation and manipulation of the electoral process in an effort to win
the poll...It is clear that the government intends to win the election by
any means," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.


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New Zealand Herald

This land is my land

09.03.2002
As Zimbabweans go to the polls ALEX DUVAL SMITH and BASILDON PETA look at
the prospects and at Robert Mugabe's support base.
Alone in a maze of rickety wooden market buildings with flapping tarpaulins,
Febiano Muvonzi anxiously awaits the arrival of his six staff. It's 5.30am
and he needs to open his car-spares stall before the bus comes.

In the past two years, this has become a Saturday morning ritual - getting
business under way before the beige bus sweeps into the sandy square to pick
up those who want to peg out a piece of land for themselves on a commercial
farm.

Muvonzi, a 40-year-old father of two who describes himself as a war veteran
and has a pension of Z$3000 ($118) a month, has been a keen passenger since
the start. "I have taken part in many farm repossessions since February 2000
and I have pegged out two farms for myself on land we occupied."

At first, he says many people in this township close to the capital, Harare,
were hesitant to get on the bus. They thought it was a trap, or the
Government's promise of free land for the povo (the people) would never be
realised. But now, he says, "We can see that President Mugabe will not rest
until every Zimbabwean is free to farm the land of his ancestors."

Now there is standing-room only on the bus, even though these days the
weekend trips are mainly for show, providing war vets with a chance to check
on their pegged-out plots. Muvonzi does not know the identities of the
farmers whose land he has occupied, except that they are "white people who,
after the liberation war, only gave up their stony land".

At the end of white rule in 1980, when Muvonzi was 18 and started Maxtim
Motor Spares with his demobilisation money, Britain offered compensation to
commercial farmers wishing to leave. It parted with £44 million ($149
million) before cutting off the money, saying poor Zimbabweans were not
being resettled.

According to the veteran political activist Margaret Dongo, 270 out of 400
farms bought by the Zimbabwean Government with British compensation money
were handed to elite members of Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National
Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF).

Muvonzi denies the claim and says, "Anyway, it will not happen again because
Mugabe knows that he will owe his victory [in the elections] to the war
veterans".

It is on people like Muvonzi that Mugabe's election hopes rest, but
regardless of the result it is people like Muvonzi who are likely to suffer.
There are three likely outcomes to the polling, each with grim implications.

The bleakest outlook would follow a Mugabe victory which was declared to be
unacceptable by the international community. This would raise the spectre of
further sanctions against the regime from the Europeans, from America and
even from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The country needs emergency food aid and this would not be forthcoming. The
threat of famine, already close, and popular unrest at the conduct of the
election could lead to riots, and the Government could claim the only way to
prevent a civil war would be to declare martial law. More and more of the
best and brightest would follow the increasingly worn path to South Africa,
but there would also be an exodus of the desperate and hungry, putting more
pressure on South Africa.

If Mugabe wins and the process is declared acceptable, he cannot remain in
power indefinitely but control would remain with Zanu-PF, the very people
whose rule has seen Zimbabwe brought to economic disaster. In the 22 years
the party has ruled the average Zimbabwean's income has halved, and it is
inconceivable that the Europeans would offer economic support to a regime,
many members of which it has targeted for sanctions.

Zanu-PF has demonstrated its tendency to take violent action against its
opponents, and it would lash out even harder in a witchhunt if the economic
pressures increase. How severe has been the decline can be measured by the
memory that until the rural economy was devastated by Mugabe, the country
fed itself with maize, exported it and held a strategic reserve of a million
tonnes. Now the country is dependent on maize from South Africa, grown
mainly by white farmers.

The best option would be a clear victory to Morgan Tsvangirai and his
Movement for Democratic Change. Although he has said he would take no action
against Mugabe, it is hard to imagine the dictator staying in the country
when he is believed to have cash salted away overseas.

With Mugabe gone, international aid might be forthcoming and the most
productive farmers might be able to resume growing food. But the land hunger
of the black population would have to be assuaged and not just for Mugabe
loyalists like Muvonzi, who are unlikely to take a defeat quietly.

Muvonzi is the ideal recruit to Mugabe's power campaign. Young enough to
take a frontline role in land occupations, he is nevertheless a
dyed-in-the-wool product of the patronage system, salaried through his
pension to take an active role in the "Third Chimurenga" (the third
liberation war - successor of the First, against settlers, and the Second
against Ian Smith's minority regime).

Like all "war vets", Muvonzi talks the talk of stony ground, sandy soil and
British imperialism. He also tells a personal story about his grandfather,
Mutyambizi Muvonzi.

"He came back from fighting for the British during World War II and was
given £200 [$680]. A white soldier my grandfather fought alongside, Tom
Houston, came back and was given £200 and a horse."

Post-war Britain had rather too many Tom Houstons on its hands so men like
him were encouraged to join an ambitious settlement scheme: in the following
10 years, the number of whites in Southern Rhodesia more than doubled to
about 220,000, 5 per cent of the population.

"My grandfather bought 30 head of cattle with his £200 and farmed a
smallholding until the end of his life. But Tom Houston was given a real
chance. The white man was told to ride his horse as far as he could until he
was tired and put a peg in the ground.

"Each day he rode about 20km, along four sides of a square. That is how
Houston got his land. And all the black people living in that square were
moved to places with stony ground, 'native reserves'."

In 1945, when Houston and Muvonzi came back from the war and the
settler-drive changed the face of Southern Rhodesia, Robert Mugabe was 21.
He had received an excellent, if strict, education from Catholic Marist
missionaries in his home village, Kutama.

He also began reading Marx and Lenin and, according to those who knew him,
developed a visceral hatred of rich people.

Today, Kutama, about 80km from Harare, is a shrine to Mugabe and everything
he would like Zimbabwe to be. You reach it on Robert Mugabe Highway,
completed in 1992 and one of the best roads in the country.

Eventually the road leads to Mugabe's rural mansion, the original wing of
which was constructed by Chinese engineers for him and his first wife,
Sally. The second wing was built for Grace, his present wife.

The complex looks like a large commercial farm, with its maize and wheat
plantations and piggery project. The Kutama townsfolk are happy. They have
Kutama Hospital where drugs rarely run out and care is free. There isn't
much need to work in Kutama because the state hands out food.

Kutama High School, the President's alma mater, which now resembles a small
university, is next to the mansion and was the first in Zimbabwe to put
computer studies on the curriculum.

"You see all this wealth," says Jon Savanhu, a Kutama peasant, "it explains
why the MDC will never win a single vote here."

Away from Kutama, life is very much harder. Starvation is just a
maize-measure away for most of the population, especially humble farm
workers who have born the brunt of the land occupations.

Mugabe's attacks on the white landowners is rooted in the President's need
to ignite nationalist sentiment and focus on the land issue if he is to win
a fifth term.

At the 1980 Lancaster House negotiations, which laid the foundations for
majority rule, Mugabe and Nkomo argued that Zimbabwe's land was given by God
to its people and was stolen by the settlers. "It was never purchased and,
therefore, why should we tax our people to buy back the land?" asked Mugabe.

He won a pledge from Britain of £30 million ($101 million) which the British
Government now says grew to £44 million ($149 million), and a further
promise - put at US$1 billion ($2.35 billion) by some sources - from the US.
But the US never paid and the willing-buyer, willing-seller process of land
acquisition, agreed at Lancaster House, condemned Zimbabwe's land
resettlement efforts to a patchwork, piecemeal future.

Britain's generosity towards Zimbabwean land redistribution in the years
after 1980 coincided with the Cold War. The West put up with character flaws
in African leaders as long as they did not turn to the USSR.

After the Cold War, Mugabe's world fell apart, but his approach to political
life is informed by the past. In a pre-election speech last year he derided
whites "who like to sip their tea under the jacarandas but forget that the
people of Zimbabwe can eat sadza [maize porridge] if it helps them to win
the revolution".

In fact, the "born-frees", a generation of black urbanites to whom his
Government gave the best education in Africa, are now leaving Zimbabwe in
far greater numbers than the whites. They don't eat sadza and their
aspirations are those of the average European - a decent education, a
satisfying job, a cellphone, nice clothes.

So Mugabe turns to people such as Febiano Muvonzi, the market trader from
Mbara. Muvonzi is a war veteran on the make - one of 3000 ex-combatants who
will demand even greater rewards if Mugabe wins the election.

Muvonzi is typical of Zanu-PF militants intent on keeping Mugabe in power.
He is proud of his land occupations - not because he is avenging his
grandfather but because he feels like a lottery winner. "There is no harm in
it. Everyone else is doing it," he says.
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Daily News

MDC supporters cats and dogs, says Grace Mugabe

3/9/02 9:53:16 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday wound up his election campaign in Bindura by
describing Tony Blair as the worst Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
since 1980.

Addressing the same rally which was attended by more than 60 000 people who
had been bussed from all districts of Mashonaland Central, his wife, Grace,
equated the MDC leadership and its supporters to dogs and cats.

“You cannot vote for the MDC because you will be ruled by dogs and cats,”
she said.

“It is a movement of cats and dogs that has been making noise. Vote against
the MDC to silence the dogs so that we can sleep.”

Her husband said a win for Zanu PF would be the burial of Blair.

“We will not say rest in peace but rest in Gehenna,” said Mugabe. “We have
the capacity to deal with spirits, if he rises.

“We had good relations with Margaret Thatcher and John Major, Conservative
as they might have been. We had our problems, but we would sit down and
discuss. But not with this little arrogant fellow, Blair. He has messed up
himself because he thinks he is too superior to talk to Mugabe.”

Mugabe’s campaign has dwelt mainly on attacking Blair.

People started coming in lorries and buses as early as 10am but Mugabe only
arrived at the rally after midday.

The people were bussed from Shamva, Muzarabani, Mazowe, Chiweshe, Mvurwi,
Glendale, Guruve, Concession and Mount Darwin.


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Daily News

A lot hinges on the election observers

3/9/02 10:00:38 AM (GMT +2)


By Alan Fife

IT CAN be no fun being a South African election observer in Zimbabwe. For
one thing, it is no fun having your car stoned by campaigners for the ruling
party (or by anyone else).



But, still, that is the easy part. The more difficult part for the team of
MPs and the 50-strong group of unionists, business people, church people and
the like is maintaining a rational perspective of events as they unfold.

The most difficult part may still lie ahead AD pronouncing on the validity
of the poll. The waters have long been muddied by the politicians. On one
hand, we have had Aziz Pahad, the South African deputy foreign minister,
stating clumsily, and quite incredibly, that a free and fair election is
likely.

On the other hand you have Tony Leon and the Democratic Alliance (DA),
unable but to breathe fire about President Mugabe and the total
impossibility of an election whose outcome reflects the will of the people.

The impression they exude is that the DA’s political credibility actually
depends on an unfair election. The truth, for any rational observer, lies
somewhere in between.

By any theoretical definition, the election cannot be defined as free and
fair. The evidence of Zanu PF-inspired intimidation and violence aimed at
undermining the election prospects of the main opposition party, the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is patently clear.

Which is why one would have expected a trained diplomat like Pahad to have
chosen his words rather more carefully. As, for example, President Thabo
Mbeki has done, by stressing that Zimbabwe’s future depends on the holding
of a credible election, but without trying to divine whether it will be
credible.

The Leon approach gels with the gut hatred many of his party’s supporters
hold for Mugabe. But it does not allow for the slim possibility that,
despite all the intimidation, possible ballot box fiddles etc designed to
subvert the election, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai may win.

Sure, that may require him to win the support of far more than 50 percent of
the electorate to offset the unfair elements of the poll. But the fact that
a Tsvangirai victory may just be possible makes nonsense of any pre-emptive
attempt to declare the outcome unacceptable.

A credible election outcome is, to be sure, far from guaranteed. But that
the possibility exists at all is thanks in no small measure to the
diplomatic efforts employed by Mbeki, among others, over the past several
months.

Had he abandoned careful diplomatic pressure in favour of sanctions and
repeated ringing denunciations of Mugabe, that possibility would have been
lost long ago. An election would probably not even have taken place.

That said, how are the observers going to determine whether to pronounce the
outcome free and fair? A Tsvangirai victory will make it easy, of course
(even if for him the struggle to rehabilitate Zimbabwe will not even have
begun).

But what about a narrow victory for Mugabe along the lines of the narrow
Zanu PF parliamentary election victory two years ago? That is the nightmare
scenario.

Conventional wisdom holds that a Mugabe victory cannot be credible, and that
conventional wisdom is probably right. That may be why Zanu PF supporters
have displayed such hostility towards the observers. They are in a Catch-22,
unable to win, either way.

But it is possible that the observers may come under a new form of pressure
from the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc), the
South African government included.

Consider the scenario they would face in the event of a narrow Mugabe
victory. The question regional governments will be asking themselves is: if
you declare the election outcome as lacking in credibility, what then? It
will not make Mugabe step down.

All it will do is raise temperatures further, and increase the chances of
greater regional instability. The same problem arose in Zambia several weeks
ago, and in a different way, in Madagascar currently, not to mention
KwaZulu-Natal in 1994.

The great temptation among governments will be to seek a way credibly to
declare the outcome as credible. In that regard, the monitoring groups will
be a key resource.

Signs are the two South African groups, and the Sadc and the Commonwealth
observers will be invited to meet to reach a joint conclusion. A further
sign is South Africa’s government will be hoping that, if Mugabe wins, he
will plan to retire within the next year or two.

And then hand over power, they hope, to a more rational successor. That
would do more to ensure stability in Zimbabwe than to reject the outcome of
the election and more or less guarantee intensified upheavals.

However, that form of expediency would also seriously damage the standing of
South Africa’s government in the wider global community, and probably badly
scar the New Partnership for Africa’s Development initiative.

That is the dilemma that may well lie ahead for the observers and South
Africa as a whole. Alan Fine is Cape Editor. (c) Business Day

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Daily News

Tsvangirai predicts big victory

3/9/02 9:55:40 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

MORGAN Tsvangirai, the MDC leader who poses the greatest challenge to
President Mugabe’s 22-year rule, has predicted an overwhelming victory for
his party in the presidential election set for today and tomorrow.

Tsvangirai said it was clear the people were going to vote for solutions to
the massive food shortages, unemployment, increasing prices of foodstuffs
and other basic commodities.

Tsvangirai, 50, said on Thursday: “As we come to the final moments of what
has been a very long and difficult journey towards democratic change in
Zimbabwe, I wish to send a loud and clear message: the people’s victory at
the weekend poll is now certain.

“The people will vote for change. They will vote for answers to the burning
issues of the day.”

The government has already declared this year’s agricultural season a
national disaster.

Although Zanu PF attributes the shortages to the drought in the current
season which is not yet over, the MDC blames the chaotic land reform
programme of the last two years.

Under the fast-track resettlement scheme, war veterans and Zanu PF-sponsored
terror gangs forcibly seized thousands of commercial farms.

Tsvangirai said he noted with sadness that Zimbabweans were going to the
polls as a polarised and divided people.

“Zimbabweans have gone through nearly three years of non-stop violence,
intimidation and political intolerance. They are now crying for peace and
national healing.”

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Dear Family and Friends,
This has been the most wonderful morning since June 2000. I have just got home after standing 4 hours and 10 minutes in a queue to vote. I was number 152 in the line and estimate at least 5000 stood behind me. Reports coming in from other centres also tell of huge queues but enormous determination. Apathy is not going to be a factor in this election, the crowds were happy and cheerful, in fact I don't think I've heard so much laughter for two years. Blacks and whites stood together and laughed together, many did not shake hands but touched forearms for fear of spreading voting ink and gone for a few hours was the fear that has become a part of our lives. There were many familiar faces in the queue, men who have invaded farms, youths who have stood around on street corners waving their fists and hundreds of ordinary, decent peace loving people who have spent most of the last week standing in queues for sugar and maize meal. I saw at least a dozen people sporting bandages and with black eyes - they too were determined to make their mark. There were a few angry outbursts as three or four groups of young shaven headed men tried to push into the queue, a couple succeeded but most were chased off by people determined not to be intimidated anymore. On one occasion a very young policeman got fed up with a group of arrogant queue jumpers and he sent them packing to the delight of us all. Putting a cross on a ballot paper this morning is the most enormous achievement after a week of the outrageous last minute changes by the government to electoral proceedures. Voters rolls were not available for inspection, thousands of internal observers were denied accreditation, lists of polling stations were only announced on Thursday, urban polling stations were reduced by 40%, previously permanent stations were changed into mobile centres and the confusion has been extreme. Reports of intimidation, harassment and violence have continued up until the last moment and dozens of internal opposition observers have been beaten and bloodied but the people appear to be showing that they are determined to have their say in the future. I expect there will be more than enough reason for me to write another weekly letter in a few days time so will stop here for today. With love, cathy http://africantears.netfirms.com
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12 Farmers arrested in Banket
News release 9 March 2002
(On behalf Commercial Farmers Union)

Farmers have been assisting in driving monitors to polling stations, as they
are familiar with rural areas. Yesterday afternoon two farmers drove
monitors from Banket to Raffingora to monitor the polling booths.

When at 6pm two farmers had not reported back from Chininga polling station,
a group of farmers went down to look for them and found that Zanu PF members
had abducted the two farmers, taken their keys and hand held radios away
from them and were making them dance and sing. Two other farmers were
ambushed and included with the first two.

In the meantime farmers had taken up strategic positions along the road down
to Chininga and a small group went in to negotiate.

During the evening Support Unit arrived with a blue saloon carrying Zanu PF
officials and after reviewing the situation, asked the farmers to report to
the police station to make statements.

Once this was done, the police decided to take 12 of the farmers through to
Banket on unspecified charges.

The farmers:
Phil Henning
Brendon Fox
Peter Calder
Dave Malan
Don McLean
Geoff Kirkman
Gordon Cannon
Graham Smith
Nick Arkell
Buster Peale
John Ashburner and one other

The farmers have been in a Banket goal since 23:45 last night.

For more info: Jenni Williams Mobile (Code +263) 91 300 456 or 11 213 885
Email jennipr@mweb.co.zw
Office landlines: (+2639) 72546 Fax 63978
Email prnews@telconet.co.zw
Visit our news website http://site.mweb.co.zw/zimbabweataglance/
<http://site.mweb.co.zw/zimbabweataglance/>

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"Today looks to be pretty hectic, with many irregularities already being
reported (it is only 8:00am - voting started an hour
ago!).  Someone has just come up on the radio saying that he was turned away
from voting "because you are white"!!

Last night was pretty hairy - D. & R. were called out to try and rescue two
of our friends (H. & D., for
those of you who know them) who had been abducted/kidnapped by some of these
so-called 'youth'.  This is in a very
remote part of the area, miles from civilisation.  The men were eventually
rescued and released.  They managed to get
their vehicles away from the area,but their hand-held radios were stolen from
them.  This was at around 10:00pm last
night, but they decided to go to the police station in Raffingora (the closest
town to the incident) to make a report about
the incident.  Unbelievably the two abductees and ten of their rescuers (N., B., among others)were
arrested (!), we dont know what charges have been laid, and we think that they
are now being held at banket Police
Station.  R. and D. have gone to Banket to try and find them, they have
established that they are inside, but there is
a policeman at the gate, not allowing anyone in, including the lawyer. No
charges have been laid against them. We
doubt if they will be released before Monday.  This will definitely put them
out of action for voting, and with assisting
with organising the voting process.

What makes me particularly concerned is that during the parliamentary
elections, although there was horrendous
violence leading up to the voting, the two actual voting days were incredibly
quiet and peaceful.  This time around they
seem to not give a damn.  Observers are thin on the ground, but there are
enough around to witness most irregularities,
yet things are still not being done properly - I worry that they are going to
simply take power, regardless of the result.
(you will note that I have lost a bit of the positive feeling I had a few days
ago)

In the mean time we will keep our heads down, and go and vote.  My name was
illegally removed from the voters roll a
couple of weeks ago, and my High Court hearing for my appeal is still pending,
so, theoretically I should still be able to
vote, but we will just have to see how that goes.  Every vote counts, so we
must all do our best to get ours in."
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Reuters

Zimbabweans flock to vote


09 March, 2002 08:22 GMT
 By Nicholas Kotch and Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabweans are voting in large numbers on the first day
of crucial presidential elections, with long queues at many polling
stations.

President Robert Mugabe faces the toughest challenge of his 22-year rule
from former trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai, who urged his supporters to
flood the more than 4,500 polls across the country.

A high urban turnout is thought likely to favour Tsvangirai.

Well before voting began around 7 a.m. on Saturday (5 a.m. British time),
voters wrapped in blankets against the cold formed long lines at polling
stations in poor parts of Harare -- strongholds of Tsvangirai's Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC).

"I could not wait to pass this vote. I came early to make sure I do," said
Japhet Dongo, who cast his ballot at a school in Glenview suburb after
waiting in a queue since midnight.

Under grey skies and in a light drizzle, at least a thousand people were
lined up at Glenview Number 2 primary school.

"This is what we have to say to the world -- we are voting today for our new
leader," one man said.

In Harare's Kambuzuma township, one queue stretched for two km (a mile) and
groups of boisterous youths gave the open-palm MDC sign to passing
motorists.

VIOLENCE CONTINUES

The violence which has marred the campaign for the closest election in
Zimbabwe's history continued right up to the poll.

The MDC reported on Friday night that 30 of its election

monitors were assaulted by ruling ZANU-PF militants with clubs and broken
bottles in Shamva, 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Harare.

Police detained 12 white farmers overnight after a confrontation with ruling
party militants who stopped them transporting MDC polling agents northwest
of Harare. The farmers were released early on Saturday.

The head of Norway's election observer team said the signs of a high turnout
were encouraging.

Kare Vollan told Reuters: "We are worried about the deployment of party
polling agents. We had some reports of problems overnight, mainly from the
MDC, but they are still to be confirmed."

Norway's 25 observers are the largest European team at the elections. The
European Union withdrew scores of observers before the vote after the
government banned those from Britain, Denmark, Germany, Finland, the
Netherlands and Sweden on the grounds that their governments were
pro-opposition.

In the second city of Bulawayo, long queues formed outside polling stations
hours before the vote started.

"I have been here since 4 a.m. because I am very anxious to vote. I want
somebody who will address my needs like the cost of living, which is now
very high," said Gatsheni Khumalo, a 29-year old accountant.

Tsvangirai has concentrated his campaign on Zimbabwe's crumbling economy,
with severe food shortages caused by drought and the violent occupation of
white-owned commercial farms, inflation at 117 percent and unemployment at
60 percent.

INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF CAMPAIGN

The violent campaign has drawn international condemnation and the MDC
accuses Mugabe of trying to steal the vote through intimidation, special
laws and dirty tricks.

The MDC estimates that 107 of its activists have been killed over the past
two years. Independent monitors say 33 people, most of them MDC supporters,
have died since January.

Denouncing foreign attempts to influence the country's internal affairs,
ZANU-PF has consistently denied it supports election violence and says its
supporters have been attacked.

The few opinion surveys point to a close finish.

Despite the power of Mugabe's government and its domination of the campaign,
some political analysts believe Zimbabwe's 13 million people are angry
enough at its economic collapse and the violence to oust the former
guerrilla leader.

The United States blasted Mugabe late on Friday.

"The government of Zimbabwe continues its blatant campaign of violence,
intimidation and manipulation of the electoral process in an effort to win
the poll...It is clear that the government intends to win the election by
any means," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.


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Daily News

Red card for Mugabe

3/9/02 10:01:19 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Mugabe will lose this weekend’s landmark election to Morgan
Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change, by some 10 percentage
points, according to a well-known social scientist and political observer,
Morgan Changamire.



In a statistical presentation yesterday, the former firebrand student leader
at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), predicted the MDC would take 56 percent
of tomorrow and Sunday’s election, against 44 percent for Zanu PF, the part
y that has been in power since the attainment of independence in 1980.
Changamire was president of the Students’ Representative Council at the UZ
during 1982-1983 and attained an honours degree in Sociology and a masters
degree in Behavioural Sciences.

Changamire said three major factors ­ poverty and starvation, land
acquisition and the international isolation of Zimbabwe ­ would determine
the outcome of this weekend’s election. His prediction is based on these
factors as well as political experience, observation, talking and listening
to people and analysing the socio-economic and political climate in the
country.

He said: “These three issues will determine the outcome of the forthcoming
presidential election. Zanu PF has failed to articulate the current
fundamental issues, namely poverty and starvation. Excessive propaganda has
not done them any good and has been directed at the wrong people ­ the
educated urban population with television sets.” A total of 5,6 million
registered voters and, according to Changamire, 60 percent of these voters
are in urban areas with the balance in rural areas. This demographic
distribution is supported by the latest Ministry of Health and Child Welfare
figures that confirm that 60 percent of the country’s population is now
urban. The often touted distribution is that 70 percent of the population is
rural and the ruling Zanu PF has been held to have a slight advantage over
the MD C on the basis of its assumed strong rural support.

Changamire said the MDC needed to win the urban vote by 70 percent and the
rural vote by 30 percent for Tsvangirai to unseat Mugabe and be sworn in as
the country’s new leader next week.

The prediction sees the MDC leading massively in five provinces ­
Manicaland, Harare, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Bulawayo. It
loses to Zanu PF in Masvingo, Mashonaland West and the Midlands, by smal l
margins, while Zanu PF is set to far outshine the MDC in Mashonaland East
and Mashonaland Central. In Mashonaland East, Zanu PF’s support is more tha
n double that of the MDC, while in Mashonaland Central, the ruling party’s
support is almost threefold that of the MDC.

A 5 percentage points error margin is accepted for the prediction,
suggesting that the smallest margin by which Tsvangirai will beat Mugabe is
5 percent.

The major factor that leads Changamire to predict that voters will abandon
Mugabe at the ballot box is that Zanu PF has dismally failed to address
increasing poverty and starvation.

He says that the excessive propaganda that the government has churned out
through the ZBC and Zimpapers publications will not pay as it is directed a
t the wrong audience altogether ­ the enlightened and discerning urban
population with television sets and which can afford to buy newspapers on a
daily basis.

Changamire said Zanu PF would not be able to rig the election. “The issue of
rigging is in people’s minds. No one has the capacity and ability to rig an
election in Zimbabwe,” he said. “In previous elections we have had
irregularities and these cannot be terme d rigging. Only massive
irregularities would change the election outcome.” Changamire said that
after winning this weekend’s election, the MDC would form a government of
national unity which would “disable and incapacitate mischief makers”.

He is sure that Zanu PF would go gracefully after losing the poll, despite
all its threats of a bloodbath should it lose. Zimbabweans will, according
to Changamire, not entertain any nonsense and the international world, led
by South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki, will also not allow Mugabe and Zan
u PF to refuse the people’s will.

Changamire scoffed at recent threats by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces chiefs
that they will not agree to a leader without liberation war credentials, as
mere boastful but empty talk.

“The statement by (army) generals is nothing but hot air from nervous and
timid men in uniform,” he said.

He added that Zimbabweans were banking on the South African observer team t
o ensure the conduct of a free and fair election.
“The withdrawal of the European Union from the election was an advantage in
disguise because a negative African environment managed by the South Africa
n observer team has been created ­ no cry against racism, colonialism from
the participants,” Changamire said.

He also dismissed suggestions that there would be a high degree of apathy i
n this weekend’s election, as postulated by Ibbo Mandaza recently.
Changamire, a founder member of the Zimbabwe Unity Movement, was a ZUM
candidate in Harare East constituency in the 1990 parliamentary election an
d garnered 9 000 votes against 16 000 for Zanu PF’s Margaret Dongo. He is no
w a human resources consultant


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Daily News

Mudede refuses to accredit MDC election agents

3/9/02 9:54:53 AM (GMT +2)


By Sandra Nyaira Political Editor

TOBAIWA Mudede, the Registrar General, yesterday refused to accredit MDC
election agents on the basis that their names had not been published to
match the polling stations they are going to be deployed to.

MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe said Mudede had in the past few months
refused to provide the MDC with relevant information needed to prepare for
the presidential election, for example, polling stations and voters’ rolls.

Based on information sourced through third parties, the MDC was on Wednesday
able to publish the first list of polling agents. At least a week is needed
by any newspaper for them to process such announcements, making it
impossible for the MDC to have names published by yesterday.

However, Zanu PF, which has had unrestricted access to information from the
Registrar-General’s Office and State media, published all the names of its
election agents corresponding with polling stations suggesting they had
received all the relevant information on time. Fortunately for the MDC, the
publishing of polling stations is only an administrative requirement by the
Registrar-General’s Office and not a legal requirement.

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Daily News

Mudede still compiling voters’ roll

3/9/02 9:51:31 AM (GMT +2)


Staff Reporter

TOBAIWA Mudede, the Registrar-General has not finished compiling the voters’
roll to be used in this weekend’s presidential poll.

Briefing journalists on Wednesday, Mudede said the extended registration of
the voter registration exercise had resulted in the delay in compiling the
voters roll.

“So far we have 5,6 million plus people on the voters’ roll,” said Mudede.

“We are working on the supplementary voters’ roll and it will be out soon,
and you will then be able to know the number of people who have registered
to vote. The extension of voters must not be treated with suspicion. We were
only complying with a court order.”

He said registration of those who will vote today closed last week. “But the
registration in this country is continuous,” said Mudede, flanked by Dr
Mariyawanda Nzuwa, the National Election Directorate chairman, Augustine
Chihuri, the Police Commissioner and other members of the Directorate.

Nzuwa refuted allegations that polling stations had been reduced in the
urban areas where the MDC commands a lot of support.

“We are going to have 4 712 stations,” said Nzuwa. “We have made some
changes so that we reduce walking distances especially in the rural areas,
where voters are walking 10km to the nearest station.”

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Daily News

Mudede refuses to disclose number of ballots

3/9/02 9:38:02 AM (GMT +2)


By Lloyd Mudiwa

TOBAIWA Mudede, the Registrar-General, yesterday refused to disclose the
number of ballot papers printed for the weekend presidential and council
elections for Harare and Chitungwiza.

He said: “There are many ballot papers. I cannot tell you the total, but we
printed many. There will be many of them issued to many different polling
stations.”

Pressed to disclose the number, he said: “I have already answered
sufficiently. I cannot go into all our security matters. Some foreign
journalists came to my office requesting to see the ballot papers and the
security features and I refused.”

He said those with invoices indicating they had registered could vote even
if their names did not appear on the roll.

But he said those with invoices issued after 3 March were not eligible.
Mudede refused to reveal the colours of the ballot papers for the council,
mayoral and presidential polls. The colours were part of the security
features, he said.

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Daily News

Fears of violence rise as Zanu PF sets up bases at polling stations

3/9/02 9:35:12 AM (GMT +2)


By Collin Chiwanza

ZANU PF has set up bases at polling stations in Murehwa North, Hwedza and
Mutoko North, allegedly being used as springboards for violence against MDC
supporters, the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai said yesterday.

Addressing a news conference yesterday, Tsvangirai implored international
observers, local and foreign journalists to visit the bases.

His election officials furnished the observers and journalists with
comprehensive details of the bases in each constituency.

With a total of 18 such bases, Murehwa North has the highest number,
followed by Hwedza with 17. There are 14 “torture camps” in Mutoko North, he
alleged.

Some of the Zanu PF youths from the bases are likely to be election officers
at the various polling centres, said Tsvangirai.

He said the MDC had tried in vain to call upon Zanu PF leaders to disband
the alleged terror bases which he said were illegal and violated the
newly-enacted Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

Last month, the Attorney-General, Andrew Chigovera, said it was unlawful to
set up bases for the purposes of committing violence. He said this was a
contravention of POSA.

Chigovera said then: “If these bases are used for peaceful political
campaigns, there is no violation of POSA, but once political parties use
them for launching terror campaigns then that becomes unlawful, especially
if they carry weapons around and train youths to assault their opponents.”

Tsvangirai said statements from President Mugabe, Didymus Mutasa and other
Zanu PF officials threatening to overturn the will of the people by staging
a military coup were unfortunate and should not be taken seriously locally
and internationally.

“Why would anybody call for an election when they want a predetermined
outcome? You cannot pretend to be going into an election, only to subvert
it,” said Tsvangirai.

He said the conditions under which the forthcoming elections were being
held, did not resemble anything that compared with “free and fair”.
Tsvangirai said: “Even if the MDC wins this election resoundingly, as is
widely expected by the people of Zimbabwe, and as we shall all witness over
the weekend, the point will still have to be made that the electoral process
has been blatantly and outrageously distorted in favour of the ruling
 party.”

The MDC leader said Zanu PF had crafted and implemented every imaginable
trick to assist its fortunes in this election.

“The ruling party has been shifting goalposts, disregarding court rulings
and setting up new rules, all aimed at inconveniencing and deterring people
from voting,” he said.

Tsvangirai could not make a categorical statement on whether the MDC would
accept a rigged election result. He said it was premature to announce a
definitive stand on the possible post-election scenarios, particularly in
the event of an outcome that favoured the ruling party. Tsvangirai, posing
the greatest challenge to President Mugabe’s 22-year rule, said he noted
with sadness that Zimbabweans were going to the polls this weekend as a
polarised and divided people.

He said: “Zimbabweans have gone through nearly three years of non-stop
violence, intimidation and political intolerance. They are now crying for
peace and national healing.”

Tsvangirai said it was against this grim background that he wished to
re-state his party’s position that for the country to move forward after the
weekend polls, peace, national healing and cross-party political interaction
would be a top priority for an MDC government.

Tsvangirai said the MDC would keep an open mind on the formation of a
government of national unity as its prime concern was to get the country
moving again.

Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the MDC national election agent, said there
were thousands of deceased and phantom voters on the voters’ roll.

She said the reduction of polling stations by 50 percent in urban areas was
deliberately meant to create unnecessary confusion and frustration.

In Kadoma, all four polling stations in the town were removed and
substituted with two polling stations situated at the prison offices and the
police camp.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga said frantic efforts to clarify a number of electoral
concerns with the Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede and Patrick Chinamasa,
the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, had been
unsuccessful since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the MDC said yesterday it had been alerted by intelligence
sources of a Zanu PF plot to cause violence during the polling.

Nelson Chamisa, the national youth chairman, said they had been informed
that Zanu PF youths planned to wear MDC T-shirts before going to polling
centres to disrupt voting, in the presence of international observers.

Chamisa urged MDC supporters not to wear party regalia as they would be
mistaken for those bent on fomenting violence.

Nathan Shamuyarira, Zanu PF’s secretary for information and publicity, said
he could only comment on allegations made by what he called “credible
sources”.

The MDC was not such a source, he said.

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Daily News

Mugabe restores repealed electoral laws

3/9/02 9:36:04 AM (GMT +2)


Political Editor

PRESIDENT Mugabe has reinstated some of the controversial electoral
regulations in the General Laws Amendment Act scrapped by the Supreme Court,
sitting as a Constitutional Court last week.

The Supreme Court declared the General Laws Amendment Act, an omnibus of
laws amending the Electoral Act, among other laws, invalid and of no effect
saying it had been improperly passed by Parliament.

Mugabe restored laws the MDC claims will disenfranchise many of its
supporters, especially those in the diaspora. The opposition said the
Statutory Instrument by Mugabe was merely meant to aid him to rig the poll.

“It is a total disgrace. One of the candidates has changed the rules,” said
MDC lawyer, Adrian de Bourbon. “That is breaking the law and is clearly
designed to help one candidate against the other.”

The Electoral Amendment Regulations deal with the accreditation of
observers, prescribe the number of observers, local monitors and presiding
officers allowed within polling and counting stations
“Not more than one monitor, polling agent per candidate and police officer
shall be permitted with the presiding officer to inspect the ballot boxes to
be loaded on the vehicle that will transport the ballot boxes from the
polling station to the counting centre and to travel in the vehicle
transporting those ballot boxes,” read part of the regulations.

Election observers yesterday said they were worried by the government’s
failure to finalise details of the location, or the number of voting
stations, which, they fear, could disenfranchise opposition supporters.

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Daily News

The hour has come

3/9/02 9:50:53 AM (GMT +2)


By Lloyd Mudiwa

THERE are more registered voters in the urban areas than in rural ones, and
this could help inflict President Mugabe with his first election defeat
since independence this weekend.



Mugabe is up against the hugely popular former trade unionist, MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai, who poses the toughest challenge to his 22 years of
uninterrupted rule.

It is generally agreed that presidential candidates Shakespeare Maya of the
National Alliance for Good Governance, and independents Paul Siwela and
Wilson Kumbula, are only there to make up the numbers.

The MDC enjoys much more support in urban areas than Mugabe’s Zanu PF, which
has over the years dominated the rural areas. Official figures indicate that
out of the 5,6 million who registered as voters, as at 10 January, about 3,4
million live in urban areas and the other 2,2 million in rural areas.

The figure excludes about 400 000 on the supplementary roll, most of whom
are said to be in Mashonaland Central, a Zanu PF stronghold.
Tobaiwa Mudede, the Registrar-General, on Thursday refused to release a
breakdown of statistics showing the demographic distribution of registered
voters per constituency.

In the 2000 parliamentary elections, Zanu PF recorded a total of 207 298
votes more than the MDC’s 1 166 653, but it suffered heavy losses in the
urban and peri-urban constituencies, winning most of its seats in the rural
areas.

But figures obtained from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, a coalition
of 36 non-governmental organisations, indicate a difference of only 40 666.
The MDC also gives different figures, with a lower margin of 34 666 in Zanu
PF’s favour.

The MDC, founded only nine months earlier, shook the ruling party, throwing
many Zanu PF stalwarts out of Parliament as it captured 57 seats to Zanu PF’
s 62.

According to political analysts and the opposition, part of the rural
electorate was coerced to vote for Zanu PF. The MDC failed to campaign
effectively in these constituencies after they were declared no-go areas by
Zanu PF, which set up bases from which it terrorised villagers.

Figures showing that more urban voters than rural ones have registered for
this weekend’s presidential election appear to favour the MDC, although its
supporters must be prepared to queue for long periods before casting their
votes.

The government has been accused of slashing the number of urban polling
stations in order to discourage MDC voters. It has also been accused of
planning to flood urban shops with maize-meal so as to divert the voters’
attention from the polls.

This could result in a scramble for the now scarce commodity. The same
scenario occurred during the 2000 parliamentary elections in high-density
suburbs such as Mabvuku,where the queues for the then scarce paraffin were
sometimes longer than those for people waiting to vote.

In that constituency, however, the trick did not work, as the MDC still won
comfortably. More voters than the 2 556 261 who voted in the June 2000
parliamentary poll are expected to cast their ballots in this weekend’s poll
in what could be a record turnout.

About 5 288 804 were registered to vote in 2000 compared with 5 607 812 this
year. According to Mudede, all 10 provinces have recorded an increase in the
number of registered voters, except for Bulawayo, regarded as an MDC
stronghold, which fell by 7 717 from 375 745 in 2000.

Analysts say the increase in the total number of registered voters shows a
determination by the public to be heard. This is despite the widespread
political violence and intimidation, blamed largely on Zanu PF assisted by
the police, army and intelligence arms of government.

Mudede’s figures show that the number of registered voters in the 2000 poll
in Harare, Manicaland, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands
provinces has increased from 792 683 to 2 947 710. The five provinces are
perceived as pro-MDC.

Masvingo, the most populous province, recorded an increase of 42 816
registered voters from 612 306. It could prove to be dicey, with the vote
likely to go either way.

The result in this volatile province could determine the outcome of the
overall poll. Two rival camps have divided Zanu PF in the province, leaving
the party in disarray in its former power base.

Josaya Hungwe, the Masvingo Provincial Governor, heads one camp, which has
the ailing Vice-President Simon Muzenda as its godfather, while the other is
led by Eddison Zvobgo and his ally Dzikamai Mavhaire.

Zvobgo, the party’s stalwart in the province discarded from both the Cabinet
and Zanu PF politburo by Mugabe, has steadfastly spurned overtures to bring
him back into the fold to campaign for Mugabe.

Zanu PF lost the executive mayoral election to the MDC last year. Analysts
attributed this partly to the factionalism. Zanu PF has never won an
election in Chipinge, the base of late Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole’s Zanu.
This seat could therefore provide easy pickings for Tsvangirai.

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Sydney Daily Telegraph


Good week for monsters of the world

09mar02
THE free world faces another sickening weekend as it stands by powerless to
influence the hurtling-to-destruction events in Zimbabwe and
Israel/Palestine, writes BRUCE WILSON. It will look in vain to its
self-appointed leader, the USA, for solutions. America is not about to
change its tune on Israel, hardly cares about Zimbabwe and showed this week
in a breathtaking way it doesn't give a hoot for its allies when the chips
hit the table.
In Zimbabwe, only an act of immense courage by its downtrodden, starving,
Aids-ravaged people will free them from the tyranny of Mugabe and his reign
of intimidation, corruption and terror. Oh, they'll vote him out all right,
but will he go? Almost certainly not, and then they are in real trouble.

Somehow, the thought of John Howard riding to their rescue fails to capture
the public imagination in Harare. The Commonwealth was about as toothless as
an international organisation could be, and tyranny had another good week.

Mugabe reminds me of no-one so much as Francois Duvalier, who did to the
people of Haiti – another cheerful and talented people until Papa Doc got
hold of them – what Mugabe has done to his.

The Zimbabwean dictator may be more flamboyant than the creepy Duvalier –
who convinced his people he was the Baron Samedi, evil genius of voodoo –
but his methods are the same, and he is a pox on his people.

But, unless something remarkable happens, he will probably get away with it
come Monday.

In Israel, those two old thugs Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat continue to
lead their people deeper into the wilderness from which the Holy Land was
supposed to be a refuge.

The "free world" stands by helpless while the old men play their endless
games.

Washington, of course, could put a rapid end to this simply by withdrawing
all military aid from Israel, or just threatening to. While it is
fashionable to sigh and wish a plague on both their houses in the conflict,
it is Israel that holds the key to peace. The West Bank is illegally
occupied, in the eyes of the United Nations. Palestinians are denied a
state, against all UN resolutions. Israel is the aggressor.

The usual charges of anti-Semitism will follow this comment, the last refuge
of the scoundrel. Let me quote Professor Bernard Wasserstein, chair of
modern history at Glasgow university, and never likely to be branded an
anti-Semite.

"Ariel Sharon's Government in Israel is on its last legs. After a year in
power, Sharon is generally reckoned to have been a disastrous failure," Prof
Wasserstein wrote this week. "He offers no strategic guidance, save endless
struggle, no diplomatic vision beyond constant naysaying."

But, as Prof Wasserstein points out, the likely replacement for Sharon is
Binyamin Netanyahu, who was a discredited man only two years ago and who
wants an even tougher line than Sharon's. A very senior free world diplomat
once said to me in Tel Aviv: "Bibi Netanyahu is a spiv."

Washington, in all this, will pursue its own internal political interests,
far away from leading the peace initiative.

We saw how the Bush administration regards it allies this week in the
cynical introduction of steel tariffs that could cost 18,000 jobs in the
very European nations who joined his war against terrorism. Thanks, pal.

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New Zealand Herald

Coup rumours fly in chaotic poll

09.03.2002
KAREN McGREGOR of London's Independent reports from Harare on the eve of a
poll that could shake Africa and the Commonwealth.
With a shambolic electoral roll said to include 50,000 dead people and
threats of an Army coup if President Robert Mugabe loses, Zimbabwe today
goes into the most important election in its history.

Challenging the 78-year-old independence leader turned despot are Morgan
Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change. He accuses Mr Mugabe of
using "state terrorism" to steal the vote, but vows he will win.

Mr Tsvangirai claimed yesterday that militants from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF
Party were continuing systematic violence and intimidation, including the
abduction of 22 of his polling agents.

The United States, fearful that instability in Zimbabwe may spill into
neighbouring states, said it was prepared to freeze the assets of Mr Mugabe
and other politicians if they were deemed to have stolen the election, which
is being monitored by a small team of Commonwealth observers.

The electoral roll has not been made public, and the Electoral Supervisory
Commission has not said how many ballot papers it printed.

Mr Tsvangirai yesterday played down rumours of a military coup, but said:
"The point will have to be made that the electoral process has been
outrageously distorted in favour of the ruling party."

Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri denied press reports that the Army,
whose commander has said it will not accept a Tsvangirai victory, was on
high alert. He said the Army had taken no special measures.

He denied violence was rising and said enough police had been deployed
around the country to ensure peaceful voting.

But the opposition Financial Gazette said Mr Mugabe had recalled troops from
leave and had pulled back some units from the Democratic Republic of Congo,
where they have been helping to fight anti-Government rebels.

Michael Quintana, editor of the Harare-based online African Defence Journal,
told the Independent that about two-thirds of the 70,000-man Army appeared
to have been deployed.

"This is unprecedented. They're being spread around like pieces on a
chessboard."

Even the Army's mechanised battalion - its most heavily armoured force, with
more than 3000 troops plus tanks, armoured vehicles and mobile rocket
units - was observed leaving its barracks, he said.

"From my observations, the Army and Air Force have been rearming ahead of
the election, conducting war games, and starting on Thursday, they began
countrywide deployment of up to two-thirds of their forces.

"There have been reports of troops receiving special training in the
southeastern highlands, where tear-gas canisters were being dropped from the
air and soldiers were given lessons in crowd control."

Fears of a military coup in the event of an opposition victory have been
high since senior military officers said they would not stand by and see the
ruling party defeated.

This week, a senior Zanu-PF figure and close associate of Mr Mugabe, Didymus
Mutasa, told South African television there would be mayhem in the entire
Southern Africa region if Zimbabweans voted Mr Tsvangirai into power.

"Under these circumstances, if there were to be a coup, we would support it
very definitely."

Brian Raftopoulos, a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe, told the
Financial Gazette that there was a real chance the country could slide into
chaos.

"Whoever wins, there are going to be problems after this election. It is
going to be very dangerous."

- Additional reporting REUTERS
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--> VOA

State Department: Mugabe Gvt. 'Intends to Win by Any Means'
David Gollust
State Department
9 Mar 2002 01:36 UTC


The State Department, on the eve of the voting in Zimbabwe, has accused
President Robert Mugabe and his political supporters of trying to steal the
election. U.S. officials are raising the prospect of additional targeted
sanctions against the country's leadership.

Officials here accuse the Mugabe government of carrying out a "blatant"
campaign of violence, intimidation and manipulation of the electoral
process, leaving little chance that the people of the African country will
be able to express their free will.

Briefing reporters, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher read off a
long list of abuses including attacks on opposition supporters by youth
gangs, curbs on the independent media and poll watchers, cuts in the number
of polling stations in areas where the opposition is strong, and the
apparent coercion of members of the military to vote for Mr. Mugabe.

Mr. Boucher said all the evidence makes it clear, as he put it, that the
government "intends to win the election by any means". He added, "The bottom
line of this is that the pervasive and profound campaign of violence,
intimidation and electoral manipulations makes it very difficult for there
to be an untainted election."


The 78-year-old Mr. Mugabe, Zimbabwe's leader for more than two decades, is
running against former labor leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who in the course of
the campaign has faced physical assaults and charges of treason.

In a Congressional appearance earlier this week, Secretary of State Colin
Powell called Mr. Mugabe an "anachronism" whose behavior and political
conduct are no longer acceptable.

The Mugabe government has severely limited outside monitoring of the two-day
election, and officials here say the administration will rely mainly on
accounts from U.S. diplomats in Harare and opposition statements in judging
the conduct of the vote.

A senior U.S. official said in the likely event the election is deemed to
have been unfair, the Bush administration will follow the European Union's
lead and impose targeted financial sanctions against Mr. Mugabe and his top
associates.

U.S. travel restrictions against Zimbabwe's leaders and their families were
imposed last month, after the government expelled the head of the European
Union monitoring mission, prompting the withdrawal of the rest of the EU
team.


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