Zanu (PF) politburo enjoy democracy in foreign lands

 The ANC conference ends this afternoon (Thursday), but the world belives the ruling Zanu PF would desist from its intimidation, beatings, killings and death threat tactics against people with different views to the government leadership.
 South Africans here sang songs of liberation and ullulated for Zuma as their candidate for presidency without being victimised, harassed or arrested as would have been the case in Harare.
 The estimated 5 000 delegates sang in protest to ANC’s highest decision making body of the National Executive Council (NEC) for merely suggesting that the vote counting would be done electronically instead of their preferred manual process.
 The delegates responded to the ANC Chairman Mosiuoa Lekota’s proposals with Zulu dances and chanting of Jacob Zuma popular song “UmShini Wami”.
 As that was not enough, delegates went a step further by defying the ANC conference rules and regulations when they sang songs that tipped the rest electorate about the people’s chosen leader-Zuma even before the voting process took place.
 The delegates also told CAJ News after their singing that they wanted to send a clear message to President Mbeki that they did not want any leader who overstayed in power just like the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe.
 Delegates claimed if the incident had occured in Zimbabwe, defying the head of state for overstaying in power, the temperamental President Mugabe could have locked those activists or paty cadres in prison.
 The democracy that has been witnessed here is grossly lacking in Zimbabwe hence the belief that the presence of Nkomo would help Harare transform its democratic principles.
 The delegates openly told the ANC party chairman Lekota in the presence of president Mbeki, Winnie Mandela, Jacob Zuma and several international dignitaries that vote counting should be by manual instead of the party leadership’s proposed electronic vote counting.
 “If you were in Zimbabwe one could have been arrested for defying the politburo’s undemocratic manuvres.
 “Here we speak our minds without any threats coming from our leaders. Of course, the chairman wanted to find out why we chose manual vote counting instead of electronic counting, but the majority’s call ruled the day.
 “This is what we call democracy, not to threaten people when they say we want a people-driven constitution, free and fair election,” said Walaza Lidod of Limpopo.
 MDC are calling for a total constitution and electoral reforms in Zimbabwe, but the ruling party is refusing, instead, opting for amending pieces of legislations.
 As that was not enough, Mugabe can suspend or fire anyone who dares challenge him in any election.
 This was evidenced when Mugabe suspended Jabulani Sibanda, the then chairman of the Zimbabwe Liberation of War Veterans Association (ZLWVA) for allegedly working in cahoots with the then minister of information and publicity Jonathan Moyo, whom he accused of planning to overthrow him at a rally in Denyani, Matabeleland north province in 2004.
 Among other victims of democracy in Zimbabwe, who spoke their minds about the dangers of one’s overstaying in power included maverick Masvingo politician Dzikamai Mavhaire, former Masvingo Provincial Zanu (PF) Chairman Daniel Shumba, and five other provincial party chairpersons from Manicaland, Midlands, Matabeleland south and Matabeleland North respectively.