Zimbabwe-Where Is The UN?

[Annie]

http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2005/03/for_zimbabwe.html

March 30, 2005
For Zimbabwe
As Zimbabwe prepares to vote tomorrow, and Mugabe warns that an opposition victory 'will not be tolerated', please read this personal testimony, an email from inside Zimbabwe two days ago, about the fight of the people of that country for their future:

We go to the polls here in Zimbabwe in three days time! Those of us who are deeply involved with the MDC are totally exhausted, many are hoarse from speaking at meetings two and three times a day for weeks, many are both physically and mentally exhausted by the effort they have put into the campaign.

I have often pointed out to any who will listen, that the MDC is a Party of the Poor. If you had visited a Zanu rally you would have been astonished at the variety of vehicles in the vicinity - army, police, CIO, Mercedes, BMW, every form of 4x4 and luxury twin cab you can name and a few you probably have never seen. By contrast at the MDC rally on Saturday, with 35,000 people crammed into a stadium that holds 15,000, there were a handful of battered pick-ups and the now familiar armored twin cab that carries the President.

On Wednesday evening we will deploy our own army to their posts. An army of peasant farmers, widows, grandmothers and low-income workers. This army - numbering 35,000 - have all volunteered to have their names printed in the newspaper for all to see, along with their ID numbers and physical addresses, and will go out to witness and supervise the elections at 8,300 polling stations.

They will have to walk to their stations in most cases; many will sleep at the stations they are looking after because they live too far away. Only a handful will have their own transport and the MDC simply cannot move them to their stations because they themselves have no "wheels".

They will vary from illiterate people who cannot write their names to teachers and headmasters who have defied their government employers to help. They will carry small packs - a candle, a box of matches, some toilet paper, 2 kilograms of maize meal and some form of "relish" to go with it. Perhaps some water in a plastic bottle.

They will have to man their stations for up to 24 hours straight - no sleep as people will vote all day and in some cases well into the night. They run the risk of physical violence and intimidation and offers of money to abandon their posts or allow the operation of the station to be subverted while they are there.

After the election they have been threatened with the loss of their jobs, transfers to hostile places and the denial of food and medicine for their families. In Masvingo the Head of the Armed forces said this past week that the "bushes would become soldiers and MDC supporters beheaded"...

[lots more]

 

[NATO AIR]

It is well apparent the UN could give a good goddamn about Africans, unless it benefits the Chinese, French or Russians somehow.

I pray, somehow soon, the resistance in Zimbabwe will be triumphant.

 

[Annie]

It is well apparent the UN could give a good goddamn about Africans, unless it benefits the Chinese, French or Russians somehow.

I pray, somehow soon, the resistance in Zimbabwe will be triumphant.

Just another reason the UN is a worthless institution that is in need of replacement.

 

[Annie]

For what is going on, pics, etc.:

http://www.publiuspundit.com/?p=790

 

[Annie]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050405/wl_afp/zimbabwevote_050405155934

Zimbabwe police on high alert as UN calls for dialogue

Tue Apr 5,11:59 AM ET World - AFP



HARARE (AFP) - Police in Zimbabwe went on high alert after youths took to the streets in Harare to urge Zimbabweans to reject the outcome of elections overwhelmingly won by President Robert Mubage's party.

As the opposition pressed calls for new elections and reform, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stepped in and called on Mugabe's government "to build a climate of confidence" to take the southern African country forward.


"He calls on all sides to engage in constructive dialogue in the period ahead," Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement released at UN headquarters in New York on Monday.


Police said groups of supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) stoned shops and assaulted passers-by in Harare on Monday to protest the results from elections their party said were rigged.


"All our arms are on high alert to ensure a peaceful post-election period," police spokesman Wayne Budzijena told AFP.


"The police as previously stated will not tolerate any acts of violence and will use resources at its disposal to ensure that there is peace and security for everyone on the country."


The youths were distributing flyers saying "the MDC has rejected the election results and urges its members, supporters and all Zimbabweans to pressurise the regime into reversing this electoral fraud," the police said.


Ten more youths were arrested in Harare on Tuesday, the police spokesman said, following the initial arrests of two other protesters the previous day.


The MDC denied that it had organised the demonstrations saying the police want to use the protests as a pretext to persecute its supporters.


"All we know is there was a demonstration by a group of Zimbabweans expressing their anger at the flawed and fraudulent elections," MDC party spokesman Paul Themba-Nyathi told AFP.


"The police will always want to use such incidents to tarnish our image and persecute our supporters and members. They will also make all sorts of threats after such incidents but that does not alter the fact that the elections were flawed."


Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) won 78 of the 120 contested seats in the March 31 elections against 41 seats for the MDC.


MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai maintains there were discrepancies between the number of voters who cast ballots and the final tally announced by the Zimbabwe Elections Commision.


He said his party would consult its members on the course to take following the "flawed" elections endorsed as free and fair by observer missions from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and the African Union.


The United States, Britain, Canada and the European Union have refused to recognize the elections as democratic, arguing that conditions leading up the vote favoured ZANU-PF, in power in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.


"The secretary general notes that parliamentary voting held in Zimbabwe on 31 March was conducted peacefully, without the violence that has marred previous elections," Annan's spokesman said in the statement.


"He is concerned, however, that the electoral process has not countered the sense of disadvantage felt by opposition political parties who consider the conditions were unfair.

"He believes the government has a responsibility now to build a climate of confidence that will be essential for national unity and economic recovery in Zimbabwe," Eckhard said.

Elections held in Zimbabwe in 2000 and 2002 left scores dead and many more beaten, mostly opposition supporters.

In his victory statement, Mugabe urged the opposition to accept defeat, saying they should "not look for all kinds of excuses which might complicate relationships."

 

[NATO AIR]

You know who really has the biggest influence there and is most at fault for this bastard continuing to lord over his people with no consequences.... South Africa.

That leadership there has stalled for Sudan, Libya, Liberia (under Charles Taylor) and now Zimbabwe. This is bullshit. Condi Rice should be sent there by Pres. Bush with a blunt message; stop supporting tyranny, genocide and corruption in Africa or face a total loss of US suppport and aid. We have no need for South Africa at this time, but they need us desperately to fight AIDS, terrorism and their struggling economy.

Its time to put South Africa in the hot seat. If their crappy leadership reads the writing on the wall and starts exercising actual good leadership in Africa, (especially in Zimbabwe), change can happen that will be positive and important. If not, Africa's fucked.

 

[waltky]

Mugabe loses protest ban in court...

Zimbabwe court overturns protest ban in Harare
Wed, 07 Sep 2016 - Zimbabwe's high court overturns a two-week ban by police on demonstrations in the capital Harare, despite a stern warning by President Robert Mugabe.

The challenge was brought by activists, who are opposed to President Robert Mugabe and his government. They described the court's ruling as "a brave judgement", coming days after President Mugabe, 92, condemned a previous court ruling allowing a demonstration that turned violent. Zimbabwe has seen a wave of protests recently over the declining economy.

No 'Arab Spring'

On Wednesday, Zimbabwean High Court judge Priscilla Chigumba ruled that the ban on protests was illegal. She said that the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law was important to democracy, Stan Zvorwadza, one of the activists who challenged the ban, told the BBC he welcomed the verdict, adding that he and demonstrators wanted to protest peacefully about the mismanagement of the country.

An opposition supporter runs during a protest in Harare, Zimbabwe.​

He was represented in court by Tendai Biti, a lawyer and former finance minister, who told the BBC it proved Zimbabwe's courts were independent. "My clients can now demonstrate today or tomorrow. This is a brave judgement," Mr Biti said. President Mugabe at the weekend criticised a court which had given permission for an anti-government protest at the end of August. It turned violent when police ignored the court order and tear gassed demonstrators.

Mr Mugabe said the judges had showed a reckless disregard for peace, and warned that they should not dare to be negligent when making future decisions. The president has recently warned protesters there would be no Zimbabwean uprising similar to the "Arab Spring". He has routinely blamed the country's economic problems on sabotage by Western critics of his policies - which include the seizure of white-owned commercial farms to be given to black people.

Zimbabwe court overturns protest ban in Harare - BBC News

 

[Maryland Patriot]

Can somebody tell me why I care about Zimbabwe's problems with the U.S is being set up for a total collapse right now?

 

[waltky]

Zimbabwe slowly recovering from Mugabe rule...

Mugabe's Gone, But Zimbabwe Still Has A Serious Cash Shortage
July 28, 2018 - It's a little after 8 a.m. on a Wednesday morning in downtown Harare, and Brandon Moyo has been waiting in line for the ATM for over four hours already. He's hoping to withdraw $20 — but it's not looking promising. There are over 20 people in front of him and bank officials have already warned they might run out of cash before he gets to the front.

Moyo is from a small farming town about 65 miles outside of Harare. He says banks in his town usually don't have any cash at all these days, so he takes a bus into the Zimbabwean capital city twice a week to wait in a line like this. He has to pay for that bus ride in cash, and if the bank runs out before he can get some, he sometimes has to stay overnight until he can try again. Zimbabwe has been facing a major cash shortage for the past two years, a symptom of the country's larger and longer economic crisis. After Robert Mugabe was ousted from power by the military last November, his replacement, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has claimed that Zimbabwe is now "open for business." But getting cash into the country is complicated, and access to physical currency hasn't improved with the leadership change.

Zimbabweans stand in line in front of NMB bank in Harare. Zimbabwe has been facing a major cash shortage for the past two years, a symptom of the country's larger and longer economic crisis.​

At another bank down the street, Rumbidzai Chihera is also waiting in an ATM line. She sells chickens for a living, but no matter how much she earns, she's limited to the amount of cash available at the bank. She says her bank used to let her withdraw $100 a week, but in recent months that limit has dropped to $40. "It's very painful to have to wait for your money, especially if it's money that you've worked for," she says in Shona. "It feels like we keep getting pulled back when we should be moving forward." The cash problem stems from massive hyperinflation Zimbabwe experienced in the years leading up to 2009. By then, inflation was so bad that the Reserve Bank was printing notes with a valuation of 100 trillion Zimbabwean dollars — reported to be worth about $300 at the time.

In an area of the city called Copacabana, the sidewalks are packed with people selling items of all kinds.​

Zimbabwe eventually abandoned its currency in favor of the U.S. dollar and several other currencies. But as the country slipped into a widening trade deficit and a lack of foreign investment, U.S. dollars became harder and harder to find in the country. So the central bank introduced bills called "bond notes" in 2016, worth $1 each in the country, but worthless outside of Zimbabwe. Bond notes come out of ATMs and are used in most cash transactions. There's also a thriving electronic economy, with more than 96 percent of the transactions in the country happening through plastic money or mobile banking systems, according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Lawrance Ncube shows a photo of the truck that he uses to transport things across the Zimbabwean border from South Africa.​

But cash is crucial for buying things like basic goods at markets — where they're much cheaper — or public transportation. And a recent two-day crash of Zimbabwe's most popular mobile banking system showed how precarious it can be to rely on electronic payments. A thriving black market has developed around cash as a result. All over downtown Harare, you can find money traders — people who can exchange foreign currency for Zimbabwean bond notes, for a price. In an area of the city called Copacabana, the sidewalks are packed with people selling shoes, cellphone chargers, clothes, wallets. Money traders — men and women — line the streets, sitting on milk cartons and leaning against storefronts, holding thick stacks of cash: U.S. dollars, Zimbabwean bond notes, South African rand, Zambian kwacha. When cars pass by, the money traders run to the windows, waving bills and yelling unofficial exchange rates, competing over each other to give the best deal.

MORE

 

[waltky]

Protests erupt in Zimbabwe over delayed election results...

Protests erupt in Zimbabwe over delayed election results
1 Aug.`18 - Rioting erupted Wednesday in Zimbabwe's capital as opposition supporters clashed with police and army troops over delays in announcing results from the presidential election, the country's first since the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe.

The security forces opened fire with guns, water cannons and tear gas, and protesters burned cars and threw rocks as helicopters hovered above Harare. A lifeless body was seen near the demonstration. Armored personnel carriers ferried troops and riot police to the scene. Dark smoke rose near the offices of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission where protesters burned tires and at least two vehicles. The commission postponed announcing results of Monday’s tightly fought presidential race, pitting President Emmerson Mnangagwa against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party of Nelson Chamisa sing and dance as they march on the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe, August 1, 2018.​

The commission said it would release vote totals “sometime” Thursday, even though it said most of the results “are here with us.” Agents for all 23 candidates must verify them first, it said. The ruling ZANU-PF party won a majority of seats in Parliament, the electoral commission said. “The more the presidential vote is delayed, the more it calls into question the population’s confidence in the election process,” said former Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the lead observer of a U.S. monitoring mission. “The longer it (the delay in announcing the results of the presidential race), the more the issue of lack of credibility arises,” European Union observer Elmar Brok said. Both the EU and U.S. missions urged the release of the presidential results as soon as possible. The EU mission questioned why presidential votes were counted first but were being announced last.

The EU observer mission expressed “serious concerns” as representatives of Western and other groups gave their first assessments of whether the vote was free and fair — crucial for lifting international sanctions on the once-prosperous country. The EU observer mission said “a truly level playing field was not achieved” in the election, pointing out the “misuse of state resources, instances of coercion and intimidation, partisan behavior by traditional leaders and overt bias in state media.” It said the election campaign and voting were largely peaceful in a break from the past. The opposition has alleged irregularities, saying voting results were not posted outside one-fifth of polling stations as required by law. Mnangagwa’s government has accused Chamisa and his supporters of inciting violence by declaring he had won. “Let me also warn such individuals and groups that no one is above the law,” Home Affairs Minister Obert Mpofu said.

A man runs as supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa burn barricades in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 1, 2018.​

The violence was an unnerving reminder of the tensions that pervade this southern African nation, debilitated by Mugabe’s long, repressive rule. The 94-year-old former leader had been in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980 until he was forced to resign in November after the military and ruling party turned on him. Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who fell out with Mugabe and then took over from him, has said his showing in the election was “extremely positive” while urging people to wait for official results.
Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party, has claimed victory based on results supporters said they collected from agents in the field. “We won the popular vote & will defend it!” Chamisa tweeted. The violence appeared to dash the hopes of Zimbabweans that the peaceful vote would lift them out of decades of economic and political stagnation under Mugabe, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce.

Protests erupt in Zimbabwe over delayed election results

See also:

Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa wins first post-Mugabe election
AUGUST 2, 2018 - Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former spy chief installed after Robert Mugabe’s removal in a coup in November, was elected on Thursday after a poll marred by the deaths of six people in an army crackdown on opposition protests.

After two days of claims and counterclaims, the 75-year-old Mnangagwa secured a comfortable victory, polling 2.46 million votes against 2.15 million for 40-year-old opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. The election, the first since the army’s removal of 94-year-old Mugabe, passed off relatively smoothly but its aftermath revealed the deep rifts in Zimbabwean society and the instinctive heavy-handedness of the security forces. On Wednesday, troops backed by armoured vehicles and a military helicopter were sent in to crush demonstrations by stone-throwing opposition supporters who said Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party had rigged the elections.

Six people were killed as soldiers, some with their faces obscured by camouflage masks, opened fire with automatic weapons. The following day, soldiers ordered civilians off the streets of the capital, despite calls from foreign governments and international organisations for calm and for political leaders to show restraint. Police then sealed off the headquarters of Chamisa’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) before storming the building and arresting 16 people. The search warrant said they were looking for unlicenced firearms, grenades and stones.

CLASHES

Coupled with video of soldiers firing on unarmed demonstrators on Wednesday, the raid does serious damage to Mnangagwa’s efforts to rehabilitate the image of a country synonymous with political repression and economic collapse. Questioning the independence of the judiciary, Chamisa said he was reluctant to go to court to challenge the results, saying this would be “going into the lion’s den”. “We are not about to be a meal for lions,” he told reporters, alleging that Mnangagwa’s ruling ZANU-PF party had rigged the poll but without providing any concrete evidence.

An MDC official briefly interrupted the results announcement to say the party rejected the result as it had not been able to verify them. Wednesday’s crackdown by the army crushed the last vestiges of euphoria that followed its removal of Mugabe in November and fuelled suspicions that the generals who launched the coup remained Zimbabwe’s de facto rulers. In Harare, the contrast could not have been starker with November, when hundreds of thousands filled the streets, hugging soldiers and celebrating their role in ousting Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe had known since independence in 1980.

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