First election results showed Information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu losing the by-election in Mpopoma-Pelandaba to MDC candidate Samuel Sandla Khumalo.
Results of the parliamentary by-election began trickling out on Saturday, 20 hours after polls closed, but no official details were available on the presidential vote.
Mugabe arrogantly plodded ahead with a one-man presidential race in contemptuous disregard of the withdrawal of his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai as well as world condemnation of the flawed and illegal poll.
Mugabe, 84, faces unprecedented pressure because of Zimbabwe’s economic collapse and a smart strategy by veteran rival Morgan Tsvangirai, who has outsmarted the iron-fisted ruler through a withdrawal strategy that has sapped all legitimacy from the embattled ruler.
Ndlovu, a senior minister in Mugabe’s government, has lost a by-election in a high desnity suburb in the second city of Bulawayo.
Ndlovu polled 1,354 votes against the MDC (Tsvangirai)’s Khumalo who garnered 3 795 votes. The MDC (Mutambara)’s Dumani Gwetu got only 296 votes.
Khumalo’s win took the MDC (Tsvangirai) parliamentary tally to 100 seats against Zanu (PF)’s 97 seats.
The results were based on a parallel voter tabulation conducted by civic groups and no official results were available from ZEC.
The MDC tally is actually higher given the parliamentary caucus between the MDC Tsvangirai and Mutambara group, which means the MDC now holds a parliamentary majority of 110 of the 210 seats in the House of Assembly. Professor Jonathan Moyo, an independent, holds the other seat.
Results from two other by-elections also held Friday in Gwanda North and Redcliff were still unavailable.
Ndlovu told The Zimbabwean that news of his loss was mere speculation.
The only authentic people to announce the results are ZEC, Ndlovu said. We are going again through the same thing. I will not be involved in innuendo. I can only comment when I get it from ZEC. ZEC is the one that announces. I will not comment until ZEC has announced.
Ndlovu also refused to comment if Mugabe was flying to Egypt for a summit of African heads of State, where the sham one-man election was expected to be the centre of discussion by restive and embarrassed African leaders. Analysts said Mugabe faces a thorough grilling and outright embarassment at the summit, hence the frantic efforts by ZEC to expeditiously announce the results and use that result as the source of Mugabe’s legitimacy.
Mugabe’s rivals accuse the former guerrilla leader of wrecking a once prosperous economy and reducing the population to misery.
Although the odds seem stacked against Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, analysts believe his iron grip on the country and solid backing from the armed forces could enable him to declare victory in a fraudulent election he has contested against himself.
Returning officers reported an unusually high number of spoilt ballots reflecting mass protest at the sham poll. Hundreds were forced marched to the polling booths to vote for Mugabe, who many blame for their economic problems.
Mugabe blames Zimbabwe’s collapse on former colonial power Britain and says Western sanctions have sabotaged the economy.
Mugabe rejects allegations that Friday’s vote was illegal.
Deputy Chief Elections Officer Utloile Silaigwana said counting of ballots cast was complete and what remained was collation and verification which will immediately be followed by the official announcement, either tonight or Sunday morning.
The haste with which ZEC has completed the counting has raised eyebrows, given that results from the March 29 poll were only announced five weeks later.
Zimbabwe is suffering the world’s highest inflation of more than 2 million percent, chronic shortages of food and fuel, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that has contributed to a steep decline in life expectancy.
Post published in: News