Posted on 03/08/2002 9:49:09 PM PST by Devereaux
Stuffed ballot boxes found as Mugabe begins stealing poll THE discovery of ballot boxes stuffed with votes for Robert Mugabe spilling out of a police car involved in a crash gave the last day of campaigning in Zimbabwe's presidential election an almost comic air.
But few of the country's 5,607,812 registered voters were laughing as they prepared to go to the polls today after an election campaign that will be remembered as one of Africa's most murderous and turbulent.
Forty polling agents for the opposition have been arrested, electoral rules favourable to the government have been re-imposed - despite being deemed unconstitutional by the courts - and a shambolic voters' roll was found to place up to half of the electorate outside their districts.
The number of polling stations has been halved in urban areas, which support the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and increased in rural areas where the ruling Zanu-PF is supported. Tens of thousands will be unable to vote.
So cruel were the mobs unleashed by Mr Mugabe to bring voters in line that one man was beaten to death by supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF party simply because his house had decorative mud hand-prints on the walls.
An open hand is the emblem of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and this was enough to cost James Sibanda his life. The mob never stopped to ask his political affiliation. He was a lifelong supporter of Mr Mugabe.
Human rights groups estimate that around 40 people have died since the campaign began. Opposition members believe the number is at least double that.
The sad truth is that no one will ever know the exact number of casualties. Bodies will continue to be found for years to come in shallow graves or dumped out in the bush.
Huge tracts of Zimbabwe have become no-go areas for normal traffic. Towns such as Nkayi and Tsholotsho were judged by Mr Mugabe's cronies to be disloyal and were subjected to devastating terror.
The Zimbabwean army, trained partly by the British and combat-proven in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was judged not to be sufficiently loyal for the job after some grumbling from the grassroots that perhaps a change of leader might not be such a bad idea.
So for the past seven months mobs of "youth militia" have been plucked from the swollen ranks of Zimbabwe's unemployed, given a pocket full of spending money and trained in the dark arts of stealing elections.
At camps dotted all over the country these louts have not only been taught Zanu-PF party songs. They have learned how to beat people without leaving bruises, how to half-drown people in buckets of water and the most effective way to use fear as a political tool.
Every approach road leading to Nkayi has been blocked by checkpoints run by these militia for weeks. Cars are routinely stoned or stolen. Ownership of an MDC membership card or even a copy of the independent Daily Newspaper can amount to a death sentence.
Two elderly white farmers, John and Margaret Sankey, who had sent their workers' identity cards to Bulawayo to prevent them being confiscated - which would rob the workers of their votes - were shot at as they drove to town.
One human rights lawyer estimated that 40,000 crimes had been committed during the campaign.
The MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai - the only challenger to Mr Mugabe for the presidency - held a rally among workers in an industrial area of Harare. He accused the President of destroying his people, and urged people to vote, despite "massive intimidation". The Daily Telegraph, London
Tim Butcher in Bulawayo
But seriously, why even bother having elections when no one buys the legitimacy?
THERE IS NO HOPE , FOR SUBSAHARAN AFRICA ; NONE !
The caption reads "people hailing Mugabe"
I'm guessing that you are refering to the mexican influx. I would like to say that Mexico in its last election embraced democracy and had a free and fair election where they voted out the PRI who had ruled for almost forever and elected the more conservative or less liberal PAN candidate. As far as the african americans go, they seem to be stuck at 13% of the population for the last few decades and there seems to be no indication that this group will get any larger than that.
Mugabe is an avowed MARIST . The ANC and Mbeki are Communists ; as is Mandela. That's what this kind of thing takes.
No they foist an outrageous fine for a minor environmental violation without due process of law, drive you out of business with outrageous and destructive regulations with conflicting demands, find against you in a corrupt court, pack the local elections with new "residents" that are largely bureaucrats or welfare dependents (see aliens), and drive you off your land at gunpoint when you can't or won't pay the fine before it is adjudicated.
It's only a matter of time. By then you may even learn to spell.
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