Daily News

By Wendy Muperi

2 August 2013

HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has called Wednesday’s vote a “huge farce,” a day after his latest attempt to end President Robert Mugabe’s 33-year rule.

Tsvangirai’s views were also shared by David Coltart of the smaller MDC faction who described the election as a farce adding the entire election was fraught with irregularities.

The visibly dejected Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) presidential candidate told a press conference yesterday the election was heavily manipulated and did not meet minimum election standards for the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and the African Union (AU).

“The shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis,” Tsvangirai said.

“Its credibility has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affect the legitimacy of its outcome,” he added.

“It is a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people.”

The MDC leader called the election a huge “farce.”

“I am sure you know the developments around the election and what is emerging throughout the country but the conclusion has been that this has been a huge farce. It is a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people,” he said.

“It is our view that this election is null and void, it does not meet Sadc, AU or international standards for a credible legitimate free and fair election.”

Administrative and legal violations, challenges related to the voters’ roll, manipulation of the voter’s choice through voter assistance, intimidation, abuse of voter’s slips as proof of voter registration, militarisation of the electoral process, lack of transparency in ballot paper printing and double voting are some of reasons constituting Tsvangirai’s basis for disputing the legitimacy of the outcome.

The Daily News investigations team on Wednesday lifted the lid on electoral fraud that ended with a team of 20 Zanu PF youths being detained at Hatfield Police Station for distributing fake voter registration slips.

Some used the slips to vote in Hatfield.

A sombre atmosphere engulfed Harvest House, the MDC headquarters, as depressed MDC polling officers trooped into the offices.

Riot police were deployed outside the party headquarters.

The MDC leader, who had hoped for a landslide victory supported by several surveys, decried the implications of the outcome on the generality of Zimbabweans.

“Zanu PF may have this clarion victory as they would want to claim but I want to assure you that the resolution of the Zimbabwean crisis has never been so near because we know at the end of the day Mugabe and Zanu PF are not going to put food on the on the table,” Tsvangirai said.

“We also know that the country, facing this myriad of problems cannot be resolved by these shenanigans,” he said.

Tsvangirai accused Zanu PF of subverting the people’s vote.

“Let me also say some of us believed that in spite of some of the hurdles that had to be overcome, that this election will resolve the political and economic crisis the country is facing,” he said.

“Once again Zimbabweans have been short-changed and they will have to bear the economic, socio and political consequences undertaken by Mugabe and Zanu PF,” he said adding: “MDC MPs who are celebrating that they won, this is not the moment to celebrate. It is a moment to be sad.”

The outspoken PM — though disturbed by the poll — still expressed hope for the future.

“For us we want to assure every Zimbabwean, that this is the beginning of the end,” he said.

Coltart said: “Even prior to the election on Tuesday, I handed a letter to the Head of the Sadc team in Bulawayo detailing 6 serious breaches of our Electoral law and Constitution which stands as record.

“In my view the entire election is illegal — for example I have still not received a copy of the electronic voters’ roll which I was entitled to and which was a key mechanism to counter rigging.

“That news along with news of the loss of Manicaland, Masvingo and Matabeleland South to Zanu PF makes it clear in my mind that the entire election is fraudulent. It also puts my loss in context.”

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn), a coalition of local non-government organisations monitoring elections in the country, described the poll as “seriously compromised.”

“Up to a million voters were disenfranchised,” Solomon Zwana, the chairman of Zesn, told a press conference yesterday.

Zanu PF’s spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, rejected allegations that the poll was rigged, saying it was part of a plot by Americans and Europeans to discredit the vote.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the African Union observer mission, told reporters on Wednesday night that he felt the vote was provisionally “free and fair”.

“From what I saw, and the reports that I’ve received so far from our observers who went out in the field, the conduct of the elections everywhere they went to was peaceful, orderly and free and fair,” Obasanjo said.

Rita Makarau, chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), conceded “a few minor logistical problems” where voting started slowly, and appealed to people to put forward any evidence of irregularities.

SW Radio Africa

By Nomalanga Moyo

2 August 2013

Outgoing Education Minister and MDC legal secretary David Coltart has said the context in which Zimbabweans went to the polls has been fraught with many irregularities that render the whole process ‘illegal’.

Coltart was speaking to SW Radio Africa Friday after he raised concerns of massive rigging in the Bulawayo East Constituency, which he had hoped to represent in the next parliament.
Coltart lost the bid to the MDC-T’s Tabitha Khumalo.

In a statement conceding defeat, Coltart noted what he said were serious irregularities and breaches to the Electoral Act, especially the absence of an electronic voters’ roll prior to the election.

He told SW Radio Africa: “But on the (polling) day, we started to see why the failure to make us have the voters’ roll was so critical, and I saw it in two ways.”

“Firstly, earlier in the morning I became aware of a strange number of shaven youngsters around the Brady Barracks area, and that had been allocated seven polling stations all within a 2-km radius.

“The results that came out of those seven polling stations were completely out of keeping with the historical voting patterns in an area where ZANU PF has always lost,” Coltart added.

“Secondly, many people were turned away from polling stations, with their names not appearing on the roll. 85 at a station close to the United Bulawayo Hospitals.”

Coltart said this doubtless affected the election result. He also cited the involvement of police officers in the vote counting process as another Electoral Act breach that occurred on polling day.

“The law is clear that the police should neither be inside the counting station nor be involved in the counting process, yet in Bulawayo East, they were.

“So it is all of these breaches to the law and the constitution which make us say that the entire election has been unfair and illegal,” Coltart said.

Asked why both MDC formations went ahead and participated in an election whose lead-up was already discredited, Coltart said it was a difficult decision to make, as they would have been blamed if they had not.

He said the parties did all they could to raise the issue of the compromised electoral environment to SADC, including at the June 15th Maputo summit.But to no avail.

Coltart said it would be pointless to challenge the election result in the courts: “If you look at the electoral challenges from the 2002 election, none of them have yielded any meaningful change to the result or the system. And to that extent, going to court will be an entirely fruitless exercise.”

The outgoing minister called for calm despite this “massive electoral fraud”. He added that ZANU PF had this time overplayed its hand and, having engineered the result, will have to answer to the people to whom it owes its “landslide victory”, by reviving an economy it has consistently run down.

MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti, who came face-to-face with some youths who had been bused in to vote in Mount Pleasant, has described the ZANU PF poll victory as “monumental rigging”: “It was done in a manner so crude it is unbelievable,” said Biti.

The Herald

By Nomore Kudzedzereka 

1 August 2013

Government is set to crack the whip on district education officers (DEOs) in different parts of the country following reports that they were demanding bribes from temporary teachers in order to secure job placements. Reports indicate that a number of education officers nationwide were demanding bribes ranging between US$100 and US$150 per month, a development which Education Minister David Coltart said his ministry was working to redress urgently before the third term commences.

The minister could not be drawn into revealing the names of the districts but confirmed the cases were widespread adding his office continued to be inundated with reports of similar cases.

He added that the suspects would either be suspended or handed over to the police. “The ministry is conducting a serious probe into this matter after receiving reports from concerned citizens.”

Southern Eye

By Southern Eye Reporter

1 August 2013

NEEKIL Rana and Dharmesh Doolabh were the winners of the Inyathi High School Golf Tournament at Bulawayo Golf Club (BGC) on Saturday, aimed at raising funds to purchase a 65-seater bus for the school.

The golf tournament, held by BGC in conjunction with the former Inyathi Student Association, attracted 60 golfers.

Rana and Doolabh emerged winners of the four-ball, better-ball format competition on 45 points.

Mac Naik and Hitesh Patel were second on 44 points counting out Bipin Makan and Pankaj Thacker as well as Benjamin Shoko and Brian Nyakutombwa.

Former Bulawayo town clerk Moffat Ndlovu, Joshua Mpofu and Harare-based lawyer Vulindlela Sibanda, who came with golfers from Harare’s Mthwakazi Golf Society, were in attendance.

Inyathi chief Mtshane Khumalo graced the occasion which was aimed at supporting the Matabeleland North school.

Tournament organiser Rodger Muhlwa said they were happy with the turnout and support.

“The golf tournament went on very well and we were very pleased with the turnout.

“We enjoyed ourselves because the tournament was well sponsored with over 20 prizes.

“To express our generosity, a wheelbarrow was auctioned for $1 000.

“We have not tallied the total amount we raised though.

“We are hoping that we will be able to purchase the bus which costs about $100 000 on credit, and maybe get it on a 36-month payment plan.

“We appreciate the support from everyone who ensured that we hosted the golf tournament successfully,” he said.

Also in attendance was Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart who said he was happy that different communities could come together to support the good initiative.

The Chronicle

By Lovemore Dube

1 August

THE Heath Streak Initiative fundraising dinner will be held at a city hotel tonight with both the India and Zimbabwe cricket teams in attendance.

Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart will be the guest of honour in an event organisers have paid tribute to city businessman Raj Modi for facilitating the hosting.

Joseph Rego, the chief executive officer of the Heath Streak Consultancy and Sports Development Initiative confirmed that the event is on. He said the Who is Who in local cricket and the Bulawayo businesspersons were expected to attend. The response to the event, he said, was overwhelming with a leading Indian television station which does extensive cricket coverage and Supersport set to cover the event.“I would like to pay tribute to Modi of Bellevue Spar and Sai Enterprises, businessman and philanthropist for making this event possible. He has paid for about 95 percent of the expenses for the dinner with the rest coming from the Bulawayo business community.

“Modi has done so much for the Bulawayo and Zimbabwe communities. I have no doubt the Heath Streak Foundation has started on a good footing with people like Modi behind it and it is such selflessness that can only make this dream a reality,” said Rego an Indian national who has decided to settle in Zimbabwe and work on Streak’s academy.

He said more than 300 people expected to attend the event include Zimbabwe cricketers past and present.

“Other than Coltart, Modi, the business community and the national teams, past and present day cricket players will be in attendance,’ said Rego.
He described the response to the dinner as overwhelming.

“There are no more seats for the event. The support has been tremendous and we look forward to a good evening to launch the initiative which should help us groom stars for Zimbabwe in the next three to five years,’ said Rego.

Streak’s dream is to come up with an academy to afford Bulawayo’s less privileged to take up cricket.

An all rounder during his time as a Zimbabwe Test cricket player, Streak is a role model for many youngsters in Zimbabwe and abroad.

The Independent UK

By Leo Cendrowicz 

1 August 2013

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvanirgai says his party considers the vote ‘null and void’ as election monitors warn that around one million people were denied their vote.

Zimbabwe’s opposition leaders warned that the country risked a new descent into chaos, alleging that this week’s elections had been tainted by “monumental rigging” in which President Robert Mugabe’s party had blocked millions from voting.

The Guardian

By David Smith

1 August 2013

Final results are not yet published but opposition MDC attacks ‘huge farce’ and complains of voter disenfranchisement.

President Robert Mugabe’s party has claimed victory in Zimbabwe’s elections by a landslide, while his main rival dismissed it as a “huge farce” and warned that an illegitimate result would plunge the country into a serious crisis.

Final results are not yet published but Zanu-PF said on Thursday it was confident of a resounding victory and state television reported wide gains for the party. By contrast, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which had previously expressed confidence, appeared despondent and attacked the electoral process.

Saviour Kasukuwere, Zanu-PF’s youth and indigenisation minister, predicted: “It’s a landslide, a total annihilation of the MDC. Their project has completely failed. President Mugabe has won. The villagers in the countryside know the result.

“I’m excited. I was young at independence in 1980. Today I feel very independent. Our country is now firmly in our hands. It’s a second coming.”

Asked if Mugabe, who at 89 is Africa’s oldest leader, would serve a full term in office, Kasukuwere replied: “We have elected President Mugabe to serve a full term.”

Until Wednesday, the MDC had insisted that, despite the claims of vote rigging and intimidation, its supporters’ weight in numbers would be enough to end Mugabe’s 33-year rule. But the mood changed as the arithmetic began to sink in.

“This election has been a huge farce,” said presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, sombre in flat cap and jacket as he read a statement at MDC headquarters. “In our view, that election is null and void … It is a sham election that does not reflect the will of the people.”

Tsvangirai said thousands of people had been disenfranchised because they were not registered on the voters’ roll, which listed some people twice. Among his numerous other complaints were that traditional chiefs and headmen had been used to intimidate people and that voters had been taken by bus into constituencies that were not their own. 

“For the above reasons, the election has been heavily manipulated,” the prime minister said. “In our view, the outcome of this election is illegitimate. But more importantly, the shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis.”

Tsvangirai’s concerns were echoed by a foreign diplomat who said: “It is a very sad day for Zimbabwe. What we’ve seen is huge evidence of voters’ roll irregularities, extra polling booths set up and voters bussed in, and that had a big impact. We have very grave concerns about the credibility of this election. It looks like a big steal.”

The head of the independent Zimbabwe election support network,Solomon Zwana, said its observers found a wide range of problems and up to a million voters had been disenfranchised. It claimed that registration was higher and the turning away of voters lower in areas known to be Zanu-PF strongholds.

But a southern African electoral commissions team, which brought 25 observers, said there had been no reports of violence or intimidation and praised organisers for their transparency. “We believe these elections have been conducted in a credible and fair manner,” it said. The African Union is yet to deliver its verdict.

Kasukuwere rejected Tsvangirai’s claims as “absolute nonsense”, demanding: “How can he talk of vote rigging when there are some MDC candidates who have won and some key members of ours who have lost. Would we rig against ourselves? He knows his party is divided. What’s so special about losing an election?”

On Thursday afternoon, the MDC headquarters was shuttered and the party website was still advertising a pre-election rally and a “countdown to July 31”.

Defeat would be a devastating blow to the 14-year-old party and raise questions over the future of Tsvangirai, who was making his third attempt to unseat Mugabe. Previous elections were marred by allegations of vote rigging, killings and torture; in 2008 Tsvangirai withdrew, citing violence against his supporters which left more than 200 people dead. Tsvangirai declined to take questions on how the MDC would react to the official result.

On Wednesday, Tendai Biti, the MDC secretary general, brushed off a query as to whether the MDC would protest in the courts or the streets, insisting that it was heading for victory. The MDC’s final election rally in Harare drew an estimated record 100,000 people.

McDonald Lewanika, co-ordinator of the civil society group Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, called for people to challenge the result by any means necessary. He said: “This is no longer a legal issue; the MDC has gone to court on several occasions. The MDC must take this politically by rejecting the election and taking action to show Zanu-PF they have the people.

“They have to leave their laptops, leave their Range Rovers, leave their comfort zones and show they have got the people power. If people were to walk to State House or stop the announcement of the vote, let it be. They’ve got no choice because otherwise this is the end of it all. My vote has been stolen.”

State-controlled ZBC television reported that Zanu-PF won 13 of 15 wards in local elections in Chinhoyi, where earlier this week the Guardian reported claims of violence and intimidation against men wearing MDC T-shirts.

David Coltart, the education, sport, arts and culture minister, described it as a catastrophic day for the MDC, admitting: “There’s no point putting a gloss on it. Zanu-PF will win a majority of seats in parliament and Robert Mugabe will get more than 50%.”

Coltart, a member of the breakaway MDC faction led by Welshman Ncube, said he appeared to have lost his parliamentary seat, by just 19 votes to Thabitha Khumalo from Tsvangirai’s MDC. Zanu-PF also did much better than expected.

He said there were “glaring anomalies” in his constituency, Bulawayo East. “The number of people voting for Mugabe and Zanu-PF bears no relation to historical trends and there are incredibly unusual voting patterns around military barracks,” he said. “They created seven polling stations in a 2km radius of military barracks and I lost the election in those seven stations. In other stations, several hundred people were turned away, which also cost me. I seriously question the veracity of the result.”

The discrepancies were mirrored across the country, he claimed, adding: “Zimbabwe has been subjected to electoral fraud on a massive scale.”

Asked how the MDC factions should respond, Coltart said: “The problem of demonstrating in the streets is that you play into Zanu-PF’s hands. They are a violent party. The supreme court is unreliable so we have extremely limited options. I tend to think it will be a combination of economic and international pressure: the great tragedy for this country is the economic crisis will be exacerbated by Zanu-PF.”

Southern Eye

By Vitalis Noyo

31 July 2013

IT’S all systems go tonight for the launch of the Heath Streak Consultancy and Sports Development initiative spearheaded by the former Zimbabwe national cricket team captain and bowling coach.

The launch had been slated for today but has been moved to tomorrow due to the national harmonised elections.

A gala fundraising dinner will be held tomorrow sponsored by city businessman Rajesh Modi through one of his supermarkets, Bellevue Spar after the fourth one-day international between Zimbabwe and India to be played on the same day at Queens Sports Club.

Modi pledged his continued support for the former national team skipper.

Streak said yesterday: “We have moved the date of the launch to Thursday (tomorrow) due to the elections that will be running on Wednesday (today). The preparations for the launch are, however, going on well and we are happy as everything else is set for the launch,” Streak said.

Streak confirmed that Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister David Coltart will be the guest of honour at the launch, which will also be graced by members of the Zimbabwe and India national cricket teams.

“We have invited the Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister to be our guest of honour. An invite has also been extended to the members of the Zimbabwe and India squad as well as members of the corperate world to attend the launch which will include a fundraising dinner,” Streak added.

Streak’s agent Joseph Rego was appointed as the chief executive officer of the Heath Streak Consultancy as he also played an instrumental role in the setting up of the India-based Heath Streak Foundation in 2012 aimed at helping budding talented cricketers who lacked financial support, achieve their dreams of playing top cricket at a professional level.

Southern Eye

By Nduduzo Tshuma

31 July 2013

ZIMBABWE holds elections today and Southern Eye looks at some of the constituencies whose outcomes are likely to be closely followed.

Makokoba
The Makokoba seat attracts a lot of interest, as MDC-T Bulawayo provincial chairperson Gorden Moyo, who inherited the constituency from party deputy president, Thokozani Khupe, fights to retain the seat.

Moyo’s two major opponents are Zanu PF’s Tshinga Dube who has held a number of activities including a music concert in the constituency, and Thabile Ndlovu from MDC.

Khupe was recommended to the party list for the women’s quota amid factional fights within the MDC-T in the constituency and fears that she was going to struggle to hold onto the seat.

The constituency has been the centre stage for factional fights within the MDC-T provincial structures between members aligned to Khupe and others to incumbent Mzilikazi senator Matson Hlalo.

On the other hand, Dube is a maverick candidate, not quick to sing the virtues of Zanu PF despite being a senior member of the party.

Ndlovu champions himself as man of the people and says he understands their problems.

Magwegwe
The constituency witnesses a clash between two new representatives of MDC-T and MDC, namely Bulawayo lawyer Sindiso Mazibisa and Anele Ndebele. Ndebele beat incumbent Felix Magalela Sibanda in the MDC-T primary elections.

Sibanda, after his loss, opted to contest as an independent candidate, citing irregularities in the party’s internal polls — a move that may split the votes. Sibanda and other independent candidates have drawn the ire of the party and were taken to court to be blocked from using the face of party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai in their campaigns.

Mazibisa grew up in the suburb and is confident that his background and other social corporate responsibility programmes he has launched will propel him to Parliament.

Bulawayo East
A tricky encounter is on the cards between incumbent MDC-T legislator Thabitha Khumalo and MDC’s David Coltart, the Khumalo senator.

Coltart turned his sights on the constituency following the passing of the new Constitution that indicated that senators would be appointed on a proportional representation format.

Coltart is the only legislator from the MDC to have won a seat in Bulawayo in the last election, while Khumalo has incumbency on her side. Khumalo, a vocal trade unionist, has been accused of sabotage in the election pulling down Coltart’s posters — a charge she vehemently refutes.

Malthus Ncube was arrested last Wednesday for allegedly pulling down a Zanu PF campaign poster.

Tsholotsho North
MDC-T candidate Roselene Nkomo will face off with Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo, credited with formulating a number of the party’s strategies.

In the last election, MDC-T backed Moyo, who beat off competition in a closely elected race, from the MDC-T. While focus may be on Nkomo, wife of Water Resources minister, Samuel Sipepa and Moyo, the dark horse in the race may be Sethulo Ndebele of the MDC. Nkomo hopes to be David that fell ed the giant Goliath.

The MDC-T claims Moyo won the seat as an independent in 2008 after they agreed with the Zanu PF politburo member that the party would not field a candidate.

Moyo has on many occasions dismissed the claims.

Nkomo has through her SamRose Community Development Trust, been spearheading a number of projects that include cattle and goat rearing, garden projects among others.

Moyo, however, has always practised a different approach to campaigns ever since he joined politics. Moyo has secretly identified strategic personnel who campaign on his behalf.

Last year, Moyo poured money towards the holding of ceremonies inaugurating local chiefs Mathuphula and Tategulu in Tsholotsho.

Two constituencies were won by Zanu PF, with politburo members Obert Mpofu winning in Umguza and Sithembiso Nyoni in Nkayi North.

Clifford Sibanda won the Bubi seat, while Martin Khumalo won in Lupane West.

Zanu PF Matabeleland South chairperson Andrew Langa occupies the Insiza North seat, while party politburo member Kembo Mohadi won the Beitbridge East seat.

Mpofu has been campaigning for Zanu PF in Matabeleland North, dishing out food and agricultural inputs.

Mail & Guardian

By Ray Ndlovu

30 July 2013

With Zimbabwe’s national election taking place on July 31, we take a look at some of the pertinent questions and key players involved.

On Wednesday, Zimbabwe will hold national elections to elect a new government. President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai will face off in the contest for the third consecutive time after encounters in the 2002 and 2008 elections. But as things stand, there are other stakeholders who will be watching the outcome of the election contest from the periphery. Voters, Zimbabweans living in the diaspora, South Africans, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the rest of the world will have their eyes on Zimbabwe to see whether Mugabe will succeed in his bid for another five year-term office, his seventh consecutive term since independence in 1980.

Why should South Africans care?
South Africa has not only been the chief broker and negotiator in Zimbabwe’s political crisis in the last four years, but will bear the greatest brunt should things go wrong in the Zimbabwe election. South Africa’s former president Thabo Mbeki brokered the uneasy power-sharing agreement in September 2008 that brought Mugabe and Tsvangirai to the negotiating table after a bloody election run-off contest in the June 2008 election.

Appointed by the SADC in 2009, President Jacob Zuma took over the mediation efforts into the long drawn-out political crisis in Zimbabwe. An undisputed election outcome will go a long way into stabilising the political tensions in Zimbabwe, and Zuma knows that very well. Any instability is likely to set-off an exodus of political refugees into South Africa. With an estimated two million Zimbabweans living in South Africa, according to the International Organisation for Migration, South Africa’s state funds will foot the bill in the event of yet another flood of Zimbabweans into the country.

Rashweat Mukundu, the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute said: “Zimbabwe is not only South Africa’s leading trade partner in the region, but a potential destabilising factor. South Africa is already struggling with millions of Zimbabweans pushing service delivery to its limit. South Africa therefore has a leadership role to ensure peace and a fair poll in Zimbabwe, more so a peaceful transition should it come to that. The consequences are dire should millions more pour across the border.” Economic trade between Zimbabwe and South Africa is estimated to have reached R22-billion in 2012 mainly in favour of South Africa.

Would Mugabe accept defeat?
It is unlikely that Mugabe will accept defeat. He has already in his election campaign trail said this was “the fight of our lives”, marshalling his Zanu-PF supporters to fight and not allow a repeat of the shock defeat of 2008. Mugabe lost the first round of voting to Tsvangirai, leading into a run-off contest. Concerns over his legacy and making an ungracious exit off Zimbabwe’s political stage would be the ultimate death knell over his 33-year rule over Zimbabwe, in which he has championed himself to be the liberator from imperialism and the West. The military and other paramilitary institutions are also likely to prop up Mugabe in the event he loses the election. The military’s top brass is on record for declaring that it would never accept a winner who did not have liberation war credentials – taking a punch at Tsvangirai.

Is there a possibility of an outbreak of violence?
To date, both Zanu-PF and the MDC have urged their supporters to desist from violence. So far, the call has been heeded, but with each day that disagreements over the preparations for Zimbabwe’s elections continue to unfold, a volatile situation is unfolding and political tensions are on the rise. An election special report released by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition on Monday entitled; “Can a flower grow out of the concrete?” notes that political parties had made efforts to restrain political violence as they were desperate for an SADC-endorsed election outcome should they win. “SADC has been clear about its distaste for political violence and intimidation and this will be one of the clear templates through which this election will be judged,” reads a part of the report.

What will become of Tsvangirai if he loses?
Tsvangirai will still be able to lead his MDC party and work on making it a formidable opposition party. Four years in, the unity government is widely held in political circles to have exposed the MDC’s deficiencies in running a government. Mukundu said this was probably the last run by Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe needed to salute him for a decade-long struggle with Mugabe, one of the most entrenched, eloquent, intelligent and evasive dictators in Africa. “A victory is a bonus for Tsvangirai but he has played his historical role and if he retires after this election it is neither a loss nor humiliation … He should go with his head high because apart from Joshua Nkomo and Edgar Tekere, no other leader took Mugabe head-on as Tsvangirai has done and no leader shook Zanu-PF to its roots as MT has done,” said Mukundu.

Is there any doubt about the elections being free and fair?
The incompletion of key political reforms as demanded by the SADC have made the Wednesday election likely to be contested. The voters’ roll remains tightly controlled bt Zanu-PF and other political parties still do not have access to it. “The provision of a voters’ roll goes to the very heart of a free and fair election and its non-supply undermines the credibility of this election. It also raises very serious questions about what the registrar general’s office is up to regarding the roll,” said David Coltart, the education minister and secretary for legal affairs in the smaller faction of the MDC. “This matter is brought to the attention of the African Union and SADC observer teams and we look forward to receiving their comments regarding this very serious breach of the law and the electoral process.”

Can Zimbabwe’s economy survive another flawed election?
It appears strongly that the business sector wants an undisputed outcome, regardless of who wins the election. Having a clear-cut winner is expected to provide an outline of the economic policies of whatever party wins the elections. Under the unity government, business suffered from the policy contradictions that came out of the Zanu-PF and MDC sides of government forcing the business sector to adopt a wait and see approach.

Khanyile Mlotshwa, a Zimbabwe-born political commentator based at Rhodes University, said that no matter what the results of the election were, Zimbabwe would be accepted back into the international community and the West would start doing business with the country. “The Zimbabwean economy has been through a lot and this election will not have any negative impact, whether free and fair or not,” said Mlotshwa.

“If anything, this election will just be an event that would allow the West to have an excuse of trooping back to Harare for business.”