Sokwanele - Enough is Enough - Zimbabwe PROMOTING NON-VIOLENT PRINCIPLES TO ACHIEVE DEMOCRACY Zimbabwe Election Watch Issue 17 : 25 February 2008 Executive Summary In an opinion piece titled "Mugabe's Rigging Nightmare", political commentator John Makumbe from the University of Zimbabwe points out he has "consistently insisted that Mugabe and Zanu PF have always rigged the elections in order to 'win' and retain power since 1985." This has been confirmed by comprehensive reports and analyses of the regime's election rigging modus operandi compiled by civil society organisations and the opposition. Zimbabwe Election Watch (ZEW), first published in October 2004 prior to the March 2005 Parliamentary election, supports these documents by highlighting examples of violations to the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. A glance at early ZEW story headlines reveals the consistency of the regime's strategy: Food as a Political Weapon, Arrest of Journalists, Student Leader Battles for Life After Savage Attack, Youths Harass Electorate, Repressive New Laws, Proposal to Exclude Some Observers, Non-Residents Excluded From Voting, Police Brainwashed. This time around, however, Makumbe says Mugabe may find it rather hard to rig the actual elections for a number of reasons. Firstly, "Mugabe and his crumbling party don't really know who their friends and foes are in this power game come March 29 (and) who among the persons responsible for the rigging machinery are loyal to Mugabe or to Makoni or to Tsvangirai (the three main presidential candidates) "Secondly, the Electoral Act provides that, 'where two or more candidates are nominated and no candidate receives a majority of the total number of valid votes cast, a second election' must be held within 21 days after the previous election In the forthcoming election, with three rather strong candidates, the possibility of all the candidates obtaining less than the requisite 51% or higher cannot be ruled out " Debating the same scenario, a leading Zimbabwean journalist, Dumisani Muleya, writes that, if Mugabe is forced into a run-off, it would almost certainly give his rival unstoppable momentum, and it is widely held he is unlikely to win 51% of the vote. The entrance of Zimbabwean businessman and former Zanu PF finance minister Dr Simba
Makoni into the equation is "a leap that is a lot bigger than people outside Zimbabwe may appreciate - from the heart of the pernicious Zanu PF politburo into a political showdown with President Mugabe. Mugabe is a dangerous opponent," writes Diana Games, director of research and publishing company Africa @ Work. Moeletsi Mbeki, deputy chairperson of the South African Institute of International Affairs, notes that "the rise of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) illustrated more than anything to date the arrival of the African Renaissance. Twenty years after independence in 1980, Zimbabwe had become a transformed society with a rich and complex social structure In this fast changing and dynamic environment it was the ruling party, Zanu PF that remained unchanged. In fact, the opposite had happened, it had fossilised." With the elections only five weeks away, media attention is escalating rapidly. In this issue we've touched on a broad selection of stories which can be accessed via the links provided. Once again the Mugabe regime has splashed out scarce foreign currency to import tear-gas and other anti-riot material from China. In 2002 his shopping list included anti-riot tanks, gas masks and microscopic laser guns. The regime's onslaught on all forms of opposition has been relentless and MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who was appallingly beaten in March, has been a primary target. At this point however, Mugabe's vitriol is being directed at Dr Makoni. 2007 has been the worst year yet for defenders of freedom with more than 6 000 instances of human rights abuses recorded by Zimbabwean NGOs. Once again members of the Progressive Teachers' Union have been severely beaten up. Civic groups, notably the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, report serious problems with respect to critical electoral processes, including voter registration and the delimitation of constituencies. Voter education is totally inadequate and the voters' roll is in a shambles. There has been no let-up in the slanted coverage of the electoral campaign by the public broadcaster. The opposition still has virtually no access the state media and a number of independent newspapers remain outlawed, notably the Daily News. Journalists from "hostile" Western nations will reportedly not be accredited. Corruption remains rife and senior police officers have been given new luxury vehicles - with more perks promised - in exchange for their support. Conversely, flood victims who support the opposition are being denied food aid. MDC 'Freedom Marches' have been brutally disrupted or banned. Police stock up on tear-gas and grenades Source Date: 18-02-2008 The Mugabe regime has reportedly splashed out US$2m in scarce foreign currency to import teargas and other anti-riot material from China and Israel. According to sources, tear-gas canisters were delivered to the Police Support Unit Headquarters in Harare, together with pepper spray, toxic dye and grenades In 2002, the Mugabe regime bought anti-riot equipment from Kibbutz Beit Alfa, which included customised anti-riot tankers, gas masks and microscopic laser guns, similar to those used by Israeli forces against Palestinian protesters.. Source: Zimbabwean, The (ZW)
Makoni - the dangers he faces Source Date: 15-02-2008 Zanu-PF's top operatives are wasting no time in setting out to destroy the Makoni campaign before it even gets off the ground. A high-level security meeting was held on Wednesday, plans were formulated, and on Thursday a top secret Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) memo was sent out. The memo (which) describes Makoni as "too hot to handle", says that in challenging Zim1 (CIO code for Mugabe) he is posing a big security risk, and adds that the political atmosphere is charged up, and "citizens are restless and ready to vote out Zim 1." The memo essentially summarises the CIO's anti-makoni plans. "Assign your trusted operatives to ensure a tough ride for Makoni... Place Makoni, his financial backers and disgruntled civil servants who might support him under top 24 hour surveillance. Employ all RDWK (real dirty work) strategies without restraint. Mobilise street kids in urban areas, hire them, then plant them at all Makoni's rallies to cause violence. The police will be on hand to arrest rioters. Those arrested will be detained in jails until after the elections." "In rural areas keep track on Non-Governmental Organisations when distributing relief food. Ensure that no non-card carrying Zanu-PF individual gets food. Feed villagers with any tarnishing information on Makoni that you can think of." Note: On January 31, Makoni was picked up by Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives at his home and taken for questioning at the infamous Mukwati Building, but was released before sunrise. This reportedly forced him to announce his intention to run for the country s Presidency a week ahead of plan. Click here [2] for further information on the questioning. Source: Zimbabwe Today (Journalist's Blog) 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; Zimbabwe election tainted by violence and rights abuses Source Date: 15-02-2008 A relentless wave of political violence over the past 12 months and in which state security forces
played a major role has already tainted Zimbabwe s elections next month, the Zimbabwe Human Rights (NGO) Forum said this week. The Forum, which regularly publishes reports on politically motivated violence in the strife-torn southern African country, said it recorded 586 cases of torture in 2007 compared to 368 the previous year. The group documented 19 cases of politically motivated kidnappings last year against 11 in 2006, while 3 477 violations of the freedoms of expression, association and movement were recorded in 2007 compared to 1 866 in 2006. (In total, Zimbabwean NGOs recorded over 6 000 instances of human rights abuses during the year). Note: The Zimbabwe Peace Project said that [4] since November, the group had recorded 1 775 incidents of political violence compared with about 1 000 in the comparable period in 2004-2005, in the run up to the 2005 general elections. Source: Zim Online (ZW) 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; PTUZ leadership in hospital under police guard Source Date: 20-02-2008 The seven Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) leadership who were abducted by ruling Zanu PF hooligans before their subsequent torture at the party s Provincial offices are under police guard at a private hospital in Harare It all started when their members were caught by the ruling party militia in the Central Business District whilst distributing fliers on their position with regard to the education crisis in the country. They were taken to an underground torture room at the Zanu PF Provincial offices where they were beaten up with sticks, metal poles and batton sticks. The police are alleging that the teachers were distributing MDC materials in Zanu PF property, provoking the party youth militia to beat them up... Identified victims: Takavafira Zhou - President, Raymond Majongwe - Secretary General, Harrison Mudzuri - Information and Publicity Officer, Laditous Zunde - National Treasurer, Osward Madziva - National Coordinator, Bernard Shoko - Member, Linda Fumande - Member, Hilary Jamila - Member, Charles Mbwandarika - Member. Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW)
2.1.2: Freedom of association; Zimbabwe voters trying to register for March polls face many hurdles Source Date: 04-02-2008 With just four days left before the deadline to register to vote in the March elections, Zimbabwean civic groups say many citizens face difficulties in the process including not only documentation requirements but simply reaching registration centers. A recent survey by the Zimbabwe Election Support Network found that most people in rural areas who had not registered during a mobile registration program late last year did not have enough money to travel to registration centers in district seats The Combined Harare Residents Association says urban residents face daunting challenges in producing the right documentation at registration offices. Among other items, voters are required to produce valid identity cards and proof of residence... The Combined Harare Residents (said) many of the thousands of people evicted from their homes in the government's 2005 Operation Murambatsvina eviction-demolition drive have no legal proof of where they live. Source: VOANews (USA) Election body ZESN concerned over intolerance Source Date: 29-01-2008 The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), a domestic election-monitoring and observation group in Zimbabwe is concerned with the current social and political environment as it relates
to the forthcoming elections. The organisation also expresses its disquiet with the manner in which critical electoral processes such as voter registration and delimitation of constituencies have been conducted. In addition, the organization observes that the delimitation exercise that was done by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission started late. and there were no copies of the report for each Member of Parliament for scrutiny Source: Nehanda Radio 2.1.2: Freedom of association; 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel 7.7: [The member state holding elections shall] Ensure that adequate security is provided to all parties participating in elections; disabled and youth in all aspects of the electoral process ZESN barred from voter education Source Date: 17-02-2008 The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week barred the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) from conducting voter education It is feared that because of the complicated electoral process, the ZEC directive is likely to result in the highest number of spoilt ballot papers since 1980. Voters will be required to vote for several candidates at once in the elections for president, parliament (House of Assembly and Senate) and local authorities... Source: Zimbabwe Standard, The (ZW)
2.1.2: Freedom of association; Voters kept in the dark over new constituency boundaries Source Date: 30-01-2008 Voters in most rural areas in the country still don't know where to go and cast their votes after the redrawing of new constituency boundaries. Prosper Mutseyami, a senior official of the MDC in Manicaland, said there will be a lot confusion on election day as thousands of people have criss-crossed wards and constituencies. He said people badly affected by this are those mainly in rural areas. The Zimbabwe Election Commission completed the delimitation of new boundaries in December but new maps and information on the new constituencies have not been made available to the public. 'We have a general election in less than eight weeks time but the ZEC is so under financed they can't print new boundaries or leaflets. Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel
One-day voting a headache for ZEC Source Date: 02-02-2008 Stakeholders have expressed concern over the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) s capacity to run the March 29 harmonised polls in one day due to logistical problems, poor infrastructure and inadequate voter education on the new ward boundaries. Source: Zimbabwe Independent, The (ZW) 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel ZESN calls for longer inspection of voters' roll Source Date: 04-02-2008... The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) is seriously concerned that the time allocated for inspection of the voters roll (1-7 February) is far too short considering that there are new constituencies and wards countrywide. ZESN proposes that it be extended to at least three weeks. ZESN believes advertisements in the print media are not an appropriate and sufficient medium of communication when considering that a large number of Zimbabweans live in remote areas where they have little, if any, access to newspapers - or are too poor to afford them. The SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections recognise the importance of full participation of citizens in the political process.
Source: Zimbabwe Situation, The (ZW) 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel Thousands rush to check voters roll as deadline looms Source Date: 12-02-2008 A snap survey carried out in Harare revealed that five out of ten people who checked the voters roll found out that their names had been deleted after registering to vote last year. A detailed analysis of only 3 constituencies voters rolls used in the presidential election in March 2002 indicated that as many as 2 million voters out of 5 million on the roll were either dead, not known at a registered address, or had duplicate entries, said Muchemwa...A check on the Kuwadzana voters roll revealed as many as 15 people (of voting age, which is most unlikely, listed as) residing in a single house. This is a system generally used by Zanu-PF to rig elections. Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) 4.1.1: Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedom and rights of citizens 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent
and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel Registration and verification of voters roll ends one day early Source Date: 14-02-2008 There was confusion at most voter registration and verification centres when people rushing to make last minute checks were told the exercise finished on Wednesday. The exercise ended at 7pm Wednesday despite notices in the official state media that it was going to end Thursday. Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) 7.3: [The member state holding elections shall] Establish impartial, all-inclusive, competent and accountable national electoral bodies staffed by qualified personnel Concern over media bias in Zimbabwe Source Date: 15-02-2008 With only weeks to go before the Zimbabwean elections, there has been no let-up in the slanted coverage of the campaign by the country's public broadcaster, according to the independent Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ).
The MMPZ noted with concern that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation showed no sign of observing either Zimbabwean law or Southern African Development Community guidelines requiring it to provide fair and balanced coverage. Nor had it tried to publicise important voter information on the complicated electoral process. MMPZ said that last week ZTV devoted 37 minutes in its news bulletins to "approving coverage" of the ruling Zanu PF, compared with a combined total of just four minutes for the Movement for Democratic Change and the newly formed Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP). Although new presidential hopeful, former finance minister Simba Makoni, received 18 minutes on ZTV's news bulletins, this was overwhelmingly dominated by reports chastising him for breaking ranks with the ruling party and challenging President Robert Mugabe. The MMPZ said that under amendments to the electoral laws, the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) was obliged to draw up a code of conduct for the media for this election period and to ensure they adhere to this code. However, it had not yet done so "Nor has it attempted to disseminate other important electoral information, such as the number and location of polling stations [and] that voters will need to cast their ballots effectively in Zimbabwe's most complex electoral exercise," the MMPZ said Source: Mail and Guardian Online, The (RSA) 2.1.5: Equal access to state media for all political parties Harare to bar Western media from covering election Source Date: 04-02-2008 Zimbabwe s Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu says Harare will not accredit journalists from hostile Western nations to cover next March s presidential and parliamentary elections. Source: Zim Online (ZW) 6.1.8: Communicate freely with voters without prejudice to the electoral law Police chief tells officers to back Mugabe
Source Date: 14-02-2008 Zimbabwe s police chief Augustine Chihuri this week told senior officers to back President Robert Mugabe reminding them the veteran leader had given them farms, resources and other perks, authoritative sources told ZimOnline. Chihuri on Tuesday met provincial and departmental police commanders at police general headquarters in Harare where he handed them new luxury vehicles for their personal use and told the officers that more perks were on the way if Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF party won next month s elections, said sources. Source: Zim Online (ZW) Flood victims denied aid for backing MDC Source Date: 31-01-2008 Zimbabwe s opposition (reported that) government officials were refusing aid to hundreds of its supporters affected by floods as punishment for not backing President Robert Mugabe s ruling Zanu PF party. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the smaller Zanu Ndonga party said a top official of the governing party, Enock Porunsingazi, had instructed pro-mugabe youth militia in the eastern Chipinge rural district and one of the areas worst affected by the floods to block all known opposition supporters from receiving aid. Source: Zim Online (ZW) 2.1.2: Freedom of association;
Police stop MDC Freedom Marches in Mutare and Rusape Source Date: 01-02-2008 Police in Mutare and Rusape stopped the MDC 'freedom' marches, in which the opposition is demanding a new constitution and free and fair elections. On Thursday police chiefs in Mutare issued a prohibition order barring the party from marching. A similar march planned for Harare by the MDC was brutally disrupted by police who beat up and tear-gassed protesters. Source: SW Radio Africa (ZW) 2.1.2: Freedom of association; Visit our website at www.sokwanele.com Visit our blog: This is Zimbabwe (Sokwanele blog) Send an e-card! www.sokwanele.com/sendcard/ We have a fundamental right to freedom of expression! Sokwanele does not endorse the editorial policy of any source or website except its own. It retains full copyright on its own articles, which may be reproduced or distributed but may not be materially altered in any way. Reproduced articles must clearly show the source and owner of copyright, together with any other notices originally contained therein, as well as the original date of publication. Sokwanele does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising in any way from receipt of this email or use thereof. This document, or any part thereof, may not be distributed for profit.