According to the aging President’s relatives in ward 2, Murombedzi area, Mugabe is isolated even from members of his nuclear family. “It is a wrong perception among people that the whole Mugabe family support him. Ask MDC structures here how much support Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change enjoy from members of the Mugabe family. Had the entire family supported Robert at the 2008 polls MDC-T would not have won some seats in this constituency. Even Tsvangirai would not have amassed so many votes at the Presidential ballot,” said a nephew to Mugabe, who declined to be identified.
He took this reporter on a tour of wards 2 and 9-11 in Zvimba, Mugabe’s home.
“The majority of Mugabe family members want regime change. If your paper could also highlight to the world that even members of the police here are no longer Zanu (PF), that would help to inform the international community about the true picture on the ground,” said the nephew, the son of one of Mugabe’s sisters.
He said police in the area had actually advised elderly people, who were being pressured to vote for Mugabe in 2008, not to fear anyone – and to cast their vote as they wished. A number of villagers commended the police in the area for their professional conduct during the 2008 elections.
“When I got into the polling booth in March 2008, I asked how I would put my ‘X’ on Tsvangirai and MDC. He advised me honestly and whispered to me that it was a free and fair election and the electorate had the right to express their political wishes without fear,” said an elderly voter from ward 9.
Post published in: News