Before the elections, he was at pains to lecture the MDC about accepting the results – no matter what they might be.
His fabulously rich generals told Zimbabweans as much – in no uncertain terms. The tanks, water cannons and rocket launchers paraded through the streets of Harare and other cities, ominously underlined their point.
But once the results posted outside polling stations became public knowledge, and it was evident that the vote had gone against him, he began to backtrack big time.
Gone was his message about accepting the will of the people.
It its place we have the most un-subtle effort ever seen to bamboozle Zimbabweans and the rest of the world into believing the ZEC rigged the election in favour of MDC.
ZEC has now been purged, Didymus Mutasa assures us, and now counting can start again to give us the correct results.
Some ZEC officials have already been arrested, while ballot boxes in Masvingo have been confiscated by police and CIO – conveniently in the absence of monitors and observers. Who is going to believe the results of a recount now?
The tragedy of this whole thing is that South African President, Thabo Mbeki, who also, prior to the elections, urged us all to accept the will of the people, and his AU and SADC colleagues, appear to be willing accomplices in this deception. Their silence as we enter the second week of torment can mean nothing else.
Meanwhile, the MDC fails to get justice from the court system in Zimbabwe.
Armed Zanu (PF) thugs in police uniform even tried to stop them getting physical access to the High Court buildings at the weekend to lodge their papers.
All this information is in the public domain. Not only The Zimbabwean, but many other reputable newspapers in the region and, of course, the entire international press corps, have reported exhaustively on every aspect of this sorry affair.
Despite all this, everybody knows that Mugabe was defeated by Morgan Tsvangirari. And. This time around, Zimbabweans are not going to be cowed into accepting a continuation of this tyrannical regime. We know who we voted for.
If we are forced to go to the polls again, we will deliver a decisive blow to this wounded buffalo, who kicks so viciously in his death throes. We are quite clear, too, that this is not about one individual any more. The service chiefs and other fat cats are hiding behind the old man, desperate to save their own skins and protect their ill-gotten gains.
Zimbabweans are wise to their tricks now. We must not respond to their provocative and intimidatory behaviour. All we need to do is remain peaceful and use our votes. We will have the last laugh.
We commend Simba Makoni and Arthur Mutambara for their recent decision to throw their weight behind Tsvangirai in the event of a re-run. This shows true political maturity and augurs well for our future as a multi-party democracy – diverse and yet tolerant.
Word
Then maidens will dance, and be glad. Young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty, declares the Lord.
This is what the Lord says, Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears for your work will be rewarded, declares the Lord. Your children will return from the land of the enemy. So there is hope for your future, declares the Lord. Your children will return to their own land. Jeremiah 31; 13 – 15