The first task was to verify that the box contained the same number of ballots as I had recorded on my counter – 585.
The initial count gave 584 so the Presiding Officer ordered a re-count, but same result. At that stage the ballot box was checked and then the missing ballot was found on the floor (one of the hazards of counting by gas and candle light) and all 20 witnesses were asked if they were satisfied with that count.
With no queries the ZEC staff went on to do the actual contestants’ count, turning the ballots face up for all to see. This stage had every one absolutely riveted as the three main contestants’ piles began to grow.
We all watched the uncounted pile decrease and tried to guess the outcome, but it was obvious that Bob was doing very poorly. It looked like Morgan was ahead yet it was difficult to judge the loser piles until they were reduced into clipped piles of 20 ballot papers.
We could all do the quick maths, but only when the Presiding Officer did the final count was the result official:- Bob: 53 or 9%, Simba: 240 or 41%, Morgan: 282 or 48%.
It was quiet smiles all round, except for the Zanu (PF) guy who was muttering about rigging”.
We continued with three other election counts and finished at 3.30 am. We all signed the ZEC official ” Final Analysis pro forma, or Blue Paper, in quadruplicate and saw one copy tied to a tree outside the polling station as required by law. There were several journalists waiting for the details and they were relaying results back to their agencies.
I finalised the MDC “Critical Analysis Report”, which included all the ballot book details, numbers, last ballot issued, spoilt papers and a general report on the conduct of the poll, then signed the certification.
I then took the disposable camera we were given and used up the entire spool on photographing the four Blue Papers and the site, as evidence in case of a rigging problem. I then went to the Constituency Command Centre to drop off my Report and camera.
It turned out that Retreat was the last polling station to finish as we apparently had the most votes cast. It took two minutes to transcribe my details onto the Spread Sheet and the final “Popular Vote” results were now complete.
Mugabe did not gain more then 10% in the whole constituency!
I have taken some time to explain the details, which I personally witnessed, as this was a microcosm of the process being carried out across the whole country. It was on this basis that the 99% of all of the popular results were known by all involved by lunchtime on Sunday.
If Mugabe had won, the results would have been out on Monday and he would have been sworn in on Tuesday! So what the hell is going on?
The results took arrogant Zanu (PF) totally by surprise and they had never dreamt that their loss would ever materialise.
They were now faced with the huge task of housekeeping 20 years of corruption, dirty tricks and all manner of shenanigans, including the DR Congo escapade. There was also the stark reality that the good times were over and that it was their turn to eat the tough, unpalatable, and full of feathers and bones…CROW.
The interminable delay by ZEC in announcing the pre-counted results has been a carefully choreographed TV and Radio drama that has been played out to allow Zanu (PF) and Mugabe (“our dear old man”, to quote Didymus Mutasa) to come to terms with reality and to plan a palatable way forward.
Finding some sort of sauce or relish, some wonderful condiment that will make the CROW taste better is proving to be an elusive task…. it is still CROW.
So keep positive, keep Zimbabwe in your thoughts and prayers, keep spreading the positive, not the negative.
Post published in: News