He thrives on chaos-it always works to his advantage.
He knows the voters’ roll is a complete shambles. He also knows that there is just no way ordinary elections can be held in Zimbabwe on one day-let alone combined presidential, parliamentary and council elections.
In 2002, Zimbabwe failed to hold presidential elections over two days. A high court order had to be procured to extend voting to a third day -and even then thousands of people in the urban areas failed to cast their votes.
What has changed since then? The situation has exacerbated-there are now even more constituencies and over a thousand urban and rural council seats.
The whole point in holding negotiations between Zanu (PF) and the opposition was to level the playing field to make way for free and fair elections.
When will SA President Thabo Mbeki and the SADC leaders finally get the message?Mugabe has no intention of allowing free and fair elections in Zimbabwe as long as he has breath in his body.
He is afraid of independent, international observers. He is afraid of a democratic constitution. He is afraid of the people of Zimbabwe. He has successfully fooled the region for almost a year now, wasting time, energy and money, raising false hopes, fiddling while Zimbabwe burns.
People are hungrier, poorer, sicker and more desperate than they were a year ago. If Mbeki and SADC had only listened to the voice of reason a year ago, many lives would have been saved. Will they listen now?
It is patently clear that elections held under the current conditions will not produce a result that will reflect the will of the people of Zimbabwe.
The results of the election have already been predetermined by Mugabe’s actions. Therefore it is pointless for the opposition to take part in any election run on Mugabe’s terms. We urge them to boycott the elections and not to legitimize yet another scam to fool Mbeki and his SADC colleagues. We must let the world know that it does not fool Zimbabweans.
Word for Today:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6, 19-21.