The Zimbabwe Elections

The military has been deployed into the streets of Herrera as well as in rural outskirts. Traveling in groups of six, the sharply attentive government police seem to be ready for any violence or riots that could erupt in Zimbabwe.

What was supposed to be a display of electoral democracy in the Southern African nation has become an intensifying unpredictable soap opera. The International community's focus on Zimbabwe's election is one that is deeper then what is being presented on the surface. The election could effect the world depending on what transpires the next few days.

It is day four since the Zimbabwe elections. The results that were to be announced centrally through out Africa on Sunday came to a sudden halt. As world leaders such as the British Ambassador are now "being summoned for a briefing about the (Zimbabwe) government," residents continue to anxiously wait.

Many Zimbabweans have not gone to work today. Like raindrops on the brim of a leaf, their future remains uncertain. Will their lives fall to change or will their hopes of a new future simply evaporate inside, enclosing a chance of democracy in its truest sense.

Mugabe's Zimbabwe

Separated by the beautiful cascading waves of the Victoria Falls, the former other half of Zambia when they were once united under colonial rule as Rhodesia has only known one president and that is Robert Mugabe.

It was President Mugabe who diligently fought for the independence of Zimbabwe from colonization. Mugabe is to Zimbabwe as Dr. Kaunda is to Zambia and Mandela is to South Africa.

The three countries are like close cousins affected by the behavior of the other. Their relationships are deeply sewn together by threads of former oppression, bloodshed, colonization and eventual democracy.

Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa's history runs so deep that despite harsh criticism from the International community, Zambia and South Africa have never really taken a strong stand against the Mugabe regime.

Now the world's most influential diplomats are asking the Zambian and South African parliaments to please mediate and intervene in their cousin's election.

Although Mugabe is a legend in Africa, it cannot be ignored that the Zimbabwe of yesterday is not the Zimbabwe of today. Residents can no longer live in the illusion of the past. They are focused on the now and the tomorrow.

There was a time when many Zimbabweans were sending off their children to schools through out the world. Lavish habits of weekends in Europe and frequent trips to visit cousins in the Caribbeans was a norm at one time. All that has changed for many Zimbabweans today.

The divide between rich and poor has become too great. It is hard for the common person who is struggling to ignore the palazzo's and mansions that align gated communities in the hills. To avois the ills of povery Zimbabweans have been escaping to Zambia and South Africa.

The two countries are both currently housing millions of Zimbabwean economic refugees. Although they are accommodating Zimbabweans, neither country has ever spoken out against Mugabe's economic plan or lack of.

Mugabe is powerful and feared throughout Africa. This in itself worries the opposition party,The Movement For Democratic Change (MDC). The fear of impartiality concerning the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) caused MDC to reach out to all world diplomats in office.

A change in government is not a matter of disloyalty to Mugabe but rather a matter of survival for many Zimbabweans.

In a press release announced on SW Radio Africa, the MDC US representatives asked the U.S State Department, National Security Council and US Senators to "warn Mugabe and his military against subverting the will of the voters in Zimbabwe."

MDC also addressed Zambia and South Africa as well as all countries in the Souther African Development Community (SADC).

"We urge you to make it plain to countries that they must not allow Mugabe to do this to his people and country."

Zimbabwe's historic astronomical inflation is causing a change of heart for a people who once thought their leader could do no wrong.

In 1980 the Zimba dollar was stronger then the American dollar. Now it takes 38 million Zimba dollars to equal to 1 American dollar. 80% of the people who have several degrees are unemployed.

The suffering economy is why Zimbabweans want the factual election results to be announced. The people of Zimbabwe want change so that they may begin their lives again.

Late yesterday in Lusaka, Minister George Mpombo solemnly told the press that he would try and monitor the election results. South Africa's ruling party, ANC and the president will also attempt to mediate some sort of peaceful outcome.

Shades of the Past

Unlike Zambia and South Africa, after leading Zimbabwe to liberation, President Mugabe who fought in the frontlines vowed to never have any dealing with Britain and Europe as a whole or any other super power including the United States. His philosophy of Africa for the Africans is deeply rooted in the struggle for Independence.

Mugabe has long stated that he was disturbed by the reality that African nations who had existed and flourished for thousands of centuries fell victim to European missionaries.

His mentality traces back to the African proverb, "They came and taught us how to pray and when we opened our eyes to say amen they had taken our people our land and our dignity."

Despite apartheid and colonization, many African nations welcome people from all countries, Mugabe has always regarded that policy as complete foolishness. He is one leader who knows not of forgiveness but of revenge and alienation, he has never tried to hide his scars of former oppression from the world.

Zimbabwe holds rich minerals and resources of great importance to the International community, especially the Western world. Their resources produce diamonds and more importantly petrol. In times where gas prices are everything, the Western world has always eyed Zimbabwe and Mugabe has always casually looked the other way.

Mugabe has never allowed Europe or America to access or mine Zimbabwe's lucrative mineral resources. The only non-African nation that Mugabe does business with is China, his biggest ally. If Mugabe's feelings towards the US and Europe stems from the notion of former oppression as the proverb details then his relationship with China is somewhat ironic and a bit confusing.

China's economy has profited greatly from Zimbabwe just like its profiting from Darfur. Darfur is a holocaust that China supports as millions of Sudanese die by the minutes. If Mugabe is no longer president this will naturally throw China off-course.

The exclusive relationship that China has with Zimbabwe isn't new to the Continent. Asia and Africa's intermixing and trading traces back to the 8th century A.D when their empires traded spices, diamonds, golds and silks to one other.

In the 1800's the Sultan of Oman moved his royal court to Zanzibar. The Asian influence can be seen in Africa by the Arabic Asian influence in architecture, names, and within the features of Africans.

It was China who assisted Mugabe and his troops in running the British out of Zimbabwe. Mugabe is known as a man who never forgives or forgets. The regime and China can be described as friends with benefits. Mugabe does not concern himself with matters pertaining the West.

This has always been quite an annoyance to many countries. Mugabe is emotionally attached to his freedom fighting days and remains apathetic towards the Western world's attitude about him.

When Mugabe won the election in 2000. Europe and the U.S were convinced he had rigged the election as were other countries. Mugabe solved the matter by simply barring Europe and the U.S from overseeing any parts of future Zimbabwe elections.

His vendetta seemed to only grew stronger through the years as BBC and other media outlets seemed to only portray Africa in its worst element.

The ruler has always vehemently spoken against the Western world's obsession of depicting Africa only in the negative sense. Mugabe has long felt that this tactic was a form of mental slavery to trigger the digression of people of African descent.

Mugabe shocked the western world, when the 84 year old ruler stripped all white Zimbabwean farmers of their land redistributing it to the African farmers instead.

Election Time Again

Due to the previous election, it was only natural that the opposition party MDC would call on the International community to both intercede or intercept any discrepancies in the election results.

Although it is a difficult transition when a man's entire existence lies in the parameter of being a freedom fighter and ruler, no one expected the events that are now developing in Zimbabwe.

In early poll results, CNN International as well as BBC and Reuters had initially reported that the opposition party, The movement for Democratic Change and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai was leading President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party by more then 70,000 votes. This gave the opposition a 68% lead in the elections. Considering Zimbabwe's population there was almost no possibility that Mugabe could win the election.

The news coverage was massive on Saturday's elections. Cars honked through the streets of Herrera that change had come. Jan Raath of The Times stated that, "They laughed in the voting queues about how they were going to skewer the rooster (Mugabe) and roast him." Raath also wrote that there was a crowd of men singing, "Saddam is gone, and now its Bob's turn."

Late Saturday, The Situation, Times and Post reported that there had been a discovery of more the 8,500 registered voters with vacant addresses. MDC also reported to the Times that "they discovered over a million phantom voters -dead emigrated or invented on the electoral register."

As more irregularities in different provinces became clear the journalist went to town with satire and coverage of what appeared to be a possible rigging on behalf of President Mugabe.

Capitalizing on the grand opportunity of displaying their comedic talents, the African Press got busy with cartoons and stories of the rigging.

The Times confidently ran a story that read: "I've been dead but my ghost rises to cast its vote." The article told a story of an 86 year old man who went to cast his vote for Mugabe.

The times quoted the dead man's story as exclusively told to them:

" I got up stretched my legs and looked in the mirror. Not bad for 86, I thought even better for someone who had been dead nine or ten years.I got dressed and headed out into the bright morning sunshine and to the polls. No one in the queque looked perturbed to see a ghost that morning."

More cartoons and alleged interviews from ghosts and their relatives followed. One Zimbabwe blogger interviewed a Mrs. Rose Banda who had buried her husband with her own eyes only to find him and her deceased uncle drinking beer after casting their vote for Mugabe.

"Me I was very shocked I'm telling you. The money I spent on my Joseph's coffin and grave and there he was busy-busy talking as usual and drinking his beer. I was just annoyed I've been suffering in this inflation since buying his coffin."

All Jokes aside

Early Sunday morning there was no joking around as everyone awaited the official Parliamentay and Presidental results. Although the press and MDC was already celebrating Tsvangirai's victory everyone waited to hear the official results from ZEC.

Would it be President Mugabe or Morgan Tsvangirai? Zanu-PF or MDC? Then suddenly the government announced that "the results would be halted until further developement."

Many residents including MDC representatives felt that the Mugabe regime was delaying announcing the results to buy time so that they can properly fix and rig the election a little bit more professionally.

ZEC commissioner George Chiweshe who is appointed by the president was not unimpressed with the humour. In a news conference on Sunday, Chiweshe announced that the result would be publicized the following day.

The commisioner claimed that the results were delayed "by the need to meticulously verify them." Nevertheless Tsvangirai continue to happily declaring a win for himself and MDC.

The Government spokesperson, George Charamba was not as kind as Chiweshe. Perhaps he was unamused by the master comedic talent of the journalists as well, as he has now decided to ban all foreign journalist (Non-Zimbabwean by birth) from exclusively reporting about the elections.

Perhaps having a sudden relapse in memory that its has been Zimbabwe's neighbors who have been accomedating his refugees, Charamba angrily cited that they (Zimbabwe) would only deal with "friendly nations."

The government then began to deploy the military into the streets. As he continued to declare victory, Tsvangirai felt that this was an act of intimidation by the government.

Charamba had had enough of Tsvangirai's talking. He told the Sunday Mail the following:

"He announces results declares himself and the MDC winner and then what? Declare himself president of Zimbabwe? It is called a coup d'etat and we all know how coups are handled."

Since then Tsvangirai has been low key and cool just waiting quietly for the announcements of the presidential results like the rest of the world. Truthfully, with Mugabe's history there is no telling what might happen in hours or days to come.

Surely if the world does not intervene, violence will erupt in Zimbabwe at any minute. There are journalists from America, Europe, the Carribeans and Asia still in Zimbabwe. Mugabe's regime is not pleased with the press and this is a serious matter on all accounts. People's lives are in danger.

African politics is very different from the rest of the world. This is a very scary and serious situation for many. MDC has asked the International community to act now before it is too late so that there will be no lives lost.