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Situation Report 3 : 29 March 2008
Sokwanele : 29 March 2008
Please send your voting experiences to elections2008@sokwanele.com
Situation Report 3: 4 pm
The elation at this morning’s queues is turning to quiet despair. Most of the country is reporting queues have dwindled to a trickle.
Bulawayo:
This incident, reported earlier today, is now confirmed: Another unconfirmed report has come in that Judith Ncube, a Zpf candidate, from Emakandeni had her house bombed. Apparently she is hurt, but not critical.
Bradfield polling station, Bulawayo:
Bradfield polling station has turned away at least 40 out of 320 voters. One woman had checked the voters roll in February and found her name there, but today it was gone.
City Hall, Bulawayo:
At least 58 out of 900 people turned away.
Zvimba East:
The Zanu PF candidate, Patrick Zhuwao, Mugabe’s nephew is apparently very worried about his seat in the House of Assembly. People in the previous no go home ground for the Zezuru Mugabe family are brazenly showing support for the opposition.
Gwebi:
Frank Sada, a candidate for the Zanu PF rural district council is drunkenly cavorting just metres from the command centre. When the opposition supporters went to the police to report this they were turned away and no follow up was carried out by the ZRP.
In the same area newly acquired tractors were seen ferrying people to a beerhall – so much for feeding the nation.
Hillbury Estates:
Mitch Whaley and opposition polling agents were beaten by Zanu PF supporters and a CIO operative at around 2am. The incident was reported to the police.
Nyabira Primary School Polling Stations:
30 people are waiting in the queue to vote and when the officials realized the opposition polling agent knows an MDC supporter from a support team, he was rejected from the station.
Chiredzi:
Polling stations in Tshovani township and others in Mkwasine have run out of ballot papers and they are turning voters away.
Bubi:
This previously hotly contested area is reporting a well organized election process. ZEC officials and the police have behaved impeccably and the turn out is exactly as expected. They believe counting will start on time.
The resettled farms in this area are showing a determined boycott of the vote. Previously these new farmers participated in chasing off commercial farmers and were staunch zpf supporters. Now they are refusing to participate in the vote at all in defiance of threats issued by the likes of Clifford Sibanda, the Zanu PF House of Assembly candidate claiming they are sick and tired of being forced by Zanu PF to do what they are told. They were donated maize recently which proved to be rotten and impossible to mill.
Not one Zanu PF vehicle has been seen in this area today.
Umguza:
Despite long term intimidation by Zanu PF Minister, Obert Mpofu, widely believed to be directly behind the murder of Martin Olds, the area is reported to be quiet and orderly.
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One subscriber’s voting experience today. Emailed to us at elections2008@sokwanele.com:
Published on the Sokwanele blog
My wife and I voted at St Johns School. The whole process took no more than 20 minutes. Pretty well organised.
My gardener also voted at St Johns, but my maid, who has also voted at the same polling stations as us was turned away at St Johns, Borrowdale Primary School and Greystone Park School.
At the latter, I went into the so-called command centre filled with almost a dozen policemen and one lady sitting at a computer. I queried the latter as to why my maid, one JM [full name supplied] was not on the Harare North voters roll since she had voted in this constituency in the past.
In front of my very eyes the computer monitor shows up at least half a dozen JM’s.
The operator quickly removed that page from the screen which I had observed – but she did confirm that this JM (matched her ID) was on the voters roll for Ward 42 – Hatcliffe, I was informed.
She even gave me the page number – [page and line number supplied] – to facilitate locating the name on that register.
I helped J off with return bus fare to Hatcliffe and await to learn whether she will be successful.
My gardener reported that he came across several people who had been turned away at St Johns polling st. I spoke to a young white lady at Borrowdale Primary School who was not on the voters roll as previously. She walked off without any intention of taking the matter further.
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Messages for Zimbabweans from around the world:
Published on the Sokwanele blog
Take courage…the present regime is only comprised of mortal men. Their power, however intimidating, is limited and temporary. Even this shall pass…they might retain their power through this election, but they are fragile in the mighty hand of God. Millions across the globe stand with you who seek freedom from such oppression…I count myself among that number…we pray for you. May you find peace amidst the storm…do not allow wicked men to dictate your happiness! (Cape Town)
Our prayers go with you. (Barbados)
Hope is the last thing to be lost and from what we’ve seen lately, Zimbabweans still have hope that there will be a change for the better – and I do too, which is why I’ll be watching’ the elections today! Good luck Zimbabwe – you deserve to get your pearl back! (Spain)
I am praying for you and will continue to. God is bigger than all the trouble you are facing. He raises kings up and He brings them down. God bless you. Indeed the world is watching and so is God.(USA)
Good luck to all of you from here in Kenya. We hope you will see a change. (Kenya)
Good luck to you in the hope that the morning is bright with promise. The Zim elections have gotten a fair amount of press here in the States and its in all of my mainstream news feeds (the BBC, of course, but also US news). The world is watching.(USA)
I feel lost here in Manchester not being able to participate and rid Zimbabwe of the greatest evil that has been visited on us. So I comb the web for any news. I spoke to friends and family and they told me of the amazing spirit of hope that people have that this might just be the end of Mugabe’s regime. I wish I was home. I feel so helpless. All I can say to my fellow countryman is I am praying for your protection and that at last our Gods deliver us from this evil and that we might have our country and our deginity back again. You are in my prayers. God bless Zimbabwe (UK)
From South Africa, I wish you the best. It has been horrible hearing about what goes on in Zim. I hope it comes right in whatever way possible. Old Bob was way past his best before’ date ages ago, if he ever was best at all. God bless Africa.(South Africa)
Zimbabweans, all over the world we hope and pray for a miracle. Vote tomorrow for a better and brighter future. Go for it.(UK)
The world is indeed watching and praying. Good luck on Saturday.(USA)
Blogs at www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe.
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