Most people were smelling blood, having severely wounded him in the first round, and were looking forward to landing the knockout blow.
The hair-brained Chinotimbas of this world are celebrating victory. But in their heart-of-hearts they surely know that it is a meaningless victory. Electoral victory means the people choose their leader – the one they want to govern them. Mugabe’s electoral “victory” this week has come because he has reduced the country to ruins and bands of ignorant, hungry, drug-crazed thugs have killed, tortured, thrashed and burnt the people of Zimbabwe to such an extent that Tsvangirai has declared “Enough!”
Mugabe’s “victory” means that inflation, hunger and desperation will continue to ravage our beloved homeland. Zimbabwe will be further isolated from the international community. No foreign aid or investment will arrive to create the desperately needed jobs for millions of starving Zimbabweans.
Targeted sanctions will remain in place, and probably be tightened and extended to include family members and beneficiaries of those responsible for the misery in Zimbabwe. For the first time, British MP’s are suggesting that this could mean the deportation of the family members of those on the international travel ban and the freezing of their assets.
We agree with Tsvangirai that it is impossible to hold elections in the present poisoned atmosphere in which more than 70 people have been killed, hundreds maimed and thousands internally displaced as a result of state-sanctioned violence.
The behaviour of the ZEC also leaves a lot to be desired. It appears they have abrogated their responsibilities to Patrick Chinamasa – who was rejected by the people in the March elections. He is now telling ZEC what to do – including how many local observers to re-accredited. We thought ZEC was in charge of the election? Not a former minister who was rejected by the electorate at the last election, an ordinary citizen who speaks for no one, represents no one, was elected by no one and imposed upon us by Robert Mugabe.
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) commissioned two independent legal opinions this week that support a conclusion that delay and the absence of a lawful run-off means the candidate who obtained the greatest number of votes in the election of 29 March 2008 has been duly elected as president and must be declared as such. These findings show that Zimbabwean electoral law is very clear about who the winner would be in a run-off where one candidate pulls out and/or the election was not held lawfully within 21 days – which it was not.
Morgan Tsvangirai is Zimbabwe’s legal president today.
Word for Today: “Do not remember the past events pay no attention to things of old. Look I am about to do something brand new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:18-19
Post published in: News