“The reality had dawned to them that they had lost the election and I think there was a lot of pandemonium and panic – they started by approaching us to say let’s talk about a transition,” Tsvangirai said in a BBC interview. Â
“We were prepared to consider the issue of an inclusive government including some members of Zanu (PF). They were suggesting how many and they were talking about the panel from which we were going to choose.” He said the MDC was prepared to offer guarantees over the future of Mugabe and senior military figures.
But the situation changed after hardliners in Zanu (PF) asserted themselves. “What happened was that the very same people who were coming to us for discussion organised a meeting and did not turn up for almost two hours,” Tsvangirai said.
He also called on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to relieve President Thabo Mbeki of his mediation duties and immediately replace him with “a special envoy” similar to one that brokered a deal in Kenya.
His vote of no confidence in Mbeki came barely hours after the SA cabinet conceded that the situation in Zimbabwe was “indeed dire and requires some kind of further facilitation”.
“When elections are held and results are not released two weeks after the vote took place, the situation is obviously of great concern to this government,” government spokesman Themba Maseko said.
Tsvangirai reiterated his conviction that the MDC had won the elections, including the presidential election, without any need for a run-off.
“The regime is conditioning people to believe there’s a run-off. There’s no run-off because we won this election decisively. In preparation for this, Mugabe and his band of criminals have unleashed an orgy of violence against the people,” he said.
Tsvangirai revealed that Mugabe had initially conceded defeat and that senior officials in the veteran dictator’s government had approached him on March 30 to discuss national unity, accommodation and security concerns but backtracked after hardliners in Zanu (PF) and generals killed the deal.
He said Mugabe wanted assurances that he would not be prosecuted for crimes he had committed. The MDC leader said he was prepared to grant Mugabe amnesty and was prepared to establish an all-inclusive government.
Tsvangirai advised Mugabe’s emissaries that he was willing to work with all security chiefs, but said those who were reluctant to serve under his government were free to leave voluntarily.
The emissaries never returned, culminating in the hold-up in presidential election results, and the subsequent state-sponsored crackdown on the MDC.
Zanu concocts treason plot to discredit Tsvangirai
HARARE
The Zanu (PF) military junta running the country has accused MDC leader and president-in-waiting, Morgan Tsvangirai, of treason in order to tarnish his image and possibly eliminate him from a planned rerun of the presidential election.
In addition to the blatant forgery of documents by the regime implicating Tsvangirai in plans to seize power through military intervention by Britain, this paper has heard of plans to plant weapons at MDC offices and properties of senior officials. Another gimmick similar to the failed plot of former Israeli spy Ari Ben Menashe is also being mooted by the regime, we established.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said the party was full aware of the plot to arrest Tsvangirai on treason charges, but said it betrayed the desperation in Zanu (PF), which is attempting to attribute its electoral loss to Gordon Brown.
Brown is neither a Zimbabwean nor is he on the voters roll, Chamisa said. Zimbabweans overwhelmingly voted for the MDC. For them to try and locate their electoral misfortune in London or outside the boundaries of this country is unfortunate.
A special department at the CIO is tasked with the project. It was also responsible for creating pamphlets on MDC symbols and logo calling for violence, which were distributed in major urban areas this week.
Information leaked from the CIO shows that the regime was this week planning to create a furore as soon as Tsvangirai returned from visits to Botswana, South Africa and Zambia.
There has been consideration on how best to allege that Tsvangirai has been meeting UK and US people in Botswana and SA in order to plan a military invasion of this country, said a top source. It would be alleged that US and UK troops are already at hand in Botswana and planning to invade the country.
Another Menashe style of evidence could be produced by the regime with hired witnesses brought up to give testimony, including some within the military junta that would claim to have been approached by Tsvangirai.
MDC secretary general Tendai Biti said he was aware of these plans. All sorts of creations and fabrications are being made for that purpose and if the regime had its way, it would want all the MDC leadership behind bars and charged with treason, he said.
We will not accept re-count results – MDC
HARARE – The MDC says it will not accept the results of a re-count of the presidential election.
MDC secretary-general Tendai Biti said there has been reproduction in those ballot boxes and vowed his party would not accept whatever results ZEC comes up with.
Despite never having released the presidential ballot results, the commission, which is made up of individuals appointed by Mugabe’s government, conducted a recount of the vote on Saturday.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack criticized the idea, saying there has not been a good chain-of-custody regime in place for the ballots and ballot boxes since the vote. Â
Anything could have happened between Election Day and when a recount takes place, and that’s a cause of deep concern not only for the United States but other countries around the globe, he said.
The Bush administration has warned forces loyal to Robert Mugabe’s military junta against using violence against opposition supporters, and criticized Zimbabwe’s electoral authorities for the recount of the March 29 presidential vote.
McCormack said members of Zimbabwe’s security forces and supporters of Mugabe’s defeated Zanu (PF) party have been using violence and intimidation in the wake of the joint presidential and parliamentary elections.
These incidents appear to target individuals who voted against Zanu (PF) candidates during the elections, McCormack said in a statement.
Calling on Mugabe’s government to stop perpetrating such incidents immediately and to show restraint and respect for human rights, McCormack said there is no place for violence or intimidation in a democratic society.
President Bush telephoned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe, according to White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe. Â
According to Johndroe, Bush told Ban it is important for the situation in Zimbabwe to be resolved peacefully and soon. It’s gone on too long.
Byo hospitals face closure
BULAWAYO – Struggling government hospitals in Bulawayo are facing closure as they have completely run out of drugs, medicine medical implements and food both for patients and student nurses.
According to nurses at United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) and Mpilo, patients are dying daily due to starvation and hospital authorities have run out of plans as the government funds allocated to them by the health ministry in January has been exhausted.
The Zimbabwean on Sunday established the situation has been worsened by the chronic shortage of basic commodities in the country a situation which saw relatives of patients at the hospitals failing to bring food for them. There is no option but to close this institution as patients are dying daily due to starvation and most student nurses have gone to South Africa and Botswana to look for other jobs, said a senior nurse at Mpilo.
A senior official at UBH confirmed that the hospital was in a dire situation after food and drug stocks total ran out nearly two months ago. She said they pleaded with government to get a supplementary budget as food and drug stocks were dwindling but it turned a deaf ear.
It’s better we close this hospital as there is completely no medicine and patients are just coming here to die, she said Contacted for comment the deputy minister of Health Child Welfare, Edwin Muguti said the government was looking at the issue.
Zanu thugs attack ZESN staff
HARARE – An independent local observer group has raised alarm over the harassment and assault of its staff in Mashonaland East and West provinces and called for an investigation into the post-election violence, and punishment of the perpetrators.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), a coalition of 38 non-governmental organizations accredited as domestic election observers, said its staff was under attack by marauding mobs of Zanu (PF) thugs and urged an end to the cycle of violence and a full investigation into the escalating post-election human rights violations.
ZESN says on April 14 in Murehwa West, a local observer was assaulted with sticks by a group of Zanu (PF) supporters including Fungai Gaura, a teacher at Zengenene School , Forbes Gwara, a former soldier and Pondai Homakoma. The incident was reported to the police at Musami mission.
Police declined to comment.
In the same area, a local headman Gaura Chidenyika and other Zanu (PF) leaders, after obtaining a list of local observers living in the area, met and resolved to request war veterans to deal with them.
In Zvimba East, Mugabe’s home village, observers were reportedly being summoned by local Zanu (PF) leadership, including one Mr. Nyambizi and Francis Mukwangawira, a councillor for Ward 26, to explain the role of the group.
One observer was been assaulted at a Zanu (PF) meeting on April 5. Many other observers had been similarly summoned and were now living in fear of similar treatment.
We condemn such acts in the strongest terms, Rindai Chipfunde-Vava, ZESN national director said.
The harassment has not spared senior ZESN leadership as Chipfunde-Vava was briefly detained at Harare International Airport this week just after landing and quizzed by State security agents about the role of ZESN in the March 29 poll.
Observers are duly invited and accredited in accordance with the laws of Zimbabwe and carry out duties in an impartial and non-partisan manner, Chipfunde-Vava said. We call upon the Zimbabwe Republic Police to act swiftly in ensuring the security of observers and in dealing with the perpetrators of these offences.
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