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Zimbabwe -- oters refuse to leave queues
SAPA-AFP via News 24 (SA) ^ | March 9, 2002

Posted on 03/09/2002 12:51:53 PM PST by Clive

Marondera - Impatient voters in the small town of Marondera who lined up for most of Saturday to cast their ballots scuffled with armed police on the first day of Zimbabwe's presidential poll.

Hundreds of tired, hungry, not to mention angry voters kicked up a storm when police barred their way into a community hall in the town, some 70km east of the capital Harare.

The hall which is acting as a polling station had already become crowded with hundreds of other disgruntled voters waiting to cast their ballots.

"I arrived here at 02:00, I am still here and not sure if I will vote today," said Ernest Makombere, who was waiting behind some 200 other people in the winding queue.

Most of those still waiting to vote in the sprawling township had spent half the night in the queue although polling booths only opened at 07:00.

Similar unrest occurred in the capital itself, where riot police beat and fired tear gas at restive voters in a southwestern suburb, injuring about a dozen people angry at the slow rate of polling in the country's key presidential poll.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has accused the government of President Robert Mugabe of reducing the number of urban polling stations by some 40% in a bid to frustrate its supporters.

In the Dombotombo suburb of Marondera, the town's largest, voters claimed that polling stations have been cut from five in the 2000 elections to one this year.

But despite the fatigue, hunger and being soaked by early morning rains, the voters displayed determination to cast their ballots regardless of the slow process.

"I arrived here at 03:00. I have sent for blankets because I am not leaving this place without voting. I am prepared to sleep here," said one voter who gave only her first name as Maidei.

"To us this queue should stop all the other queues we have had," said an accountant who called himself Natty. In recent weeks

Zimbabwe has experienced unprecedented shortages of basic foodstuffs.

"Some of us are employed but impoverished. We used to earn peanuts, but now we earn shells," said Natty, at the same time implying he wanted change and would vote for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Another determined auto electrician exclaimed: "Come rain, come thunder, I am going to vote."

Other hungry voters complained that they could not leave the queue to go and get food, because if they did leave the Mbuya Nehanda hall grounds, police would not let them back in.

Dorcas Zifambi, said she had left a seven-month-old breastfeeding baby at home at 03:00 hoping she would return home within reasonable time to attend to her child. Eleven hours later she had not yet cast her ballot and had not been back home.

Susan Gamunorwa, 60, who suffers from asthma and diabetes was lying on the ground next to the queue, saying she was feeling weak as she had not had recourse to either medication nor food.

Another woman said she had left her very ill sister at home who needed constant monitoring and was worried about her condition as she had not been fed.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africawatch
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1 posted on 03/09/2002 12:51:53 PM PST by Clive
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To: *AfricaWatch, Sarcasm, Travis McGee, Byron_the_Aussie, robnoel, GeronL, ZOOKER, lds23,
-
2 posted on 03/09/2002 12:52:55 PM PST by Clive
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To: headsonpikes, junta, untenured, Devereaux, Tropoljac, Cincinatus' Wife, JanL, Slyfox, nopardons
-
3 posted on 03/09/2002 12:53:49 PM PST by Clive
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To: Clive
bump

the tyrant Mugabe will do anything to keep power

4 posted on 03/09/2002 12:55:00 PM PST by GeronL
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To: Clive
It brings tears to your eyes to see people hunger for freedom so much.
5 posted on 03/09/2002 12:57:47 PM PST by tet68
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To: Clive
Most of those still waiting to vote in the sprawling township had spent half the night in the queue although polling booths only opened at 07:00.

"I arrived here at 03:00. I have sent for blankets because I am not leaving this place without voting. I am prepared to sleep here," said one voter who gave only her first name as Maidei.

Another determined auto electrician exclaimed: "Come rain, come thunder, I am going to vote."

Boy, these people must REALLY love Mugabe to want to support him this way. I’ll bet he gets 80% of the vote.

I must consider a trip to Rhodesia, to invest in one of these farms I’ve heard so much about…

Owl _ Eagle
“Guns before butter.”

6 posted on 03/09/2002 1:03:03 PM PST by End Times Sentinel
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To: Clive
Mugabe is pure, focused evil! I am certain that he will be defeated in the voting booth, but I am also certain that he will not give up power.
7 posted on 03/09/2002 1:03:52 PM PST by jsraggmann
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To: tet68
The entire continent is run by corrupt cruel dictators - there's really nothing new here. The only safe, stable counties - Rhodesia and South Afraica - are now basket cases.

They are now the rule, not the exception.

8 posted on 03/09/2002 1:07:10 PM PST by mgstarr
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To: Clive
Zimbabwe is where we in the US would have been had it not been
for our Constitution and judges willing and able to defend it.
9 posted on 03/09/2002 1:11:19 PM PST by Slyfox
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To: Slyfox
Zimbabwe is where we in the US would have been had it not been for our Constitution and judges willing and able to defend it.

The Constitution isn't meant as just a guide for learned men in black robes. It is a guide to allow citizens to know when those in government are acting legitimately and when the citizens need to employ corrective measures. Unfortunately, citizens have for so long ignored overtly unconstitutional acts by government personnel that it's unclear how to return to a fully legitimate constitutional government.

10 posted on 03/09/2002 1:47:37 PM PST by supercat
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To: Clive
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has accused the government of President Robert Mugabe of reducing the number of urban polling stations by some 40% in a bid to frustrate its supporters.

"Don't worry about coming to the polls to vote -- we have already marked your ballot for you!"

11 posted on 03/09/2002 1:54:25 PM PST by Logophile
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To: Slyfox
Zimbabwe is where we in the US would have been had it not been for our Constitution and judges willing and able to defend it.

No, we wouldn't.

12 posted on 03/09/2002 1:57:31 PM PST by counterrevolutionary
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To: Slyfox
Zimbabwe is where we in the US would have been had it not been for our Constitution and judges willing and able to defend it.

Disagree. What we had, have, and are in danger of losing, is a cultural heritage that encourages effort, responsibility, and cooperation. IOW, a civil society, which we got from English ancestors.

If you look at Africa, you'll see discord along tribal lines, and absolutely no history of a civil society. Mugabe runs his country as sub-Saharan Africans have always run their countries.

I fear that our own society is losing its civilized roots, and that we will have a lot of big cities looking a lot like Mugabe's Zimbabwe. It may become, if not the norm, at least very common.

13 posted on 03/09/2002 2:01:17 PM PST by r9etb
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To: r9etb; supercat; counterrevolutionary
Okay, you wise guys. You tell me if Bill and Hillary did not have the restraints on them as they did, you
tell me if you think that they would not have tried to do in full measure what Mugabe is doing right now.
14 posted on 03/09/2002 2:15:52 PM PST by Slyfox
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To: Clive
These brave people are going to be SO unhappy, when Mugabe won't leave. Would that Americans care so much about voting.
15 posted on 03/09/2002 2:26:13 PM PST by nopardons
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To: Slyfox
I think certain people (ahem!) around here have completely lost perspective when it comes to Billy and Hilly.
16 posted on 03/09/2002 2:54:12 PM PST by counterrevolutionary
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To: Slyfox
Constitution and citizens in spite of judges.
17 posted on 03/09/2002 2:58:33 PM PST by Righty1
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To: Clive; All
Another determined auto electrician exclaimed: "Come rain, come thunder, I am going to vote." Other hungry voters complained that they could not leave the queue to go and get food, because if they did leave the Mbuya Nehanda hall grounds, police would not let them back in.

Dorcas Zifambi, said she had left a seven-month-old breastfeeding baby at home at 03:00 hoping she would return home within reasonable time to attend to her child. Eleven hours later she had not yet cast her ballot and had not been back home.

Susan Gamunorwa, 60, who suffers from asthma and diabetes was lying on the ground next to the queue, saying she was feeling weak as she had not had recourse to either medication nor food. Another woman said she had left her very ill sister at home who needed constant monitoring and was worried about her condition as she had not been fed.

BUMP!

18 posted on 03/09/2002 10:32:44 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Owl_Eagle
It's a damn shame. Rhodesia used to be such a civilized country.

L

19 posted on 03/09/2002 10:35:19 PM PST by Lurker
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
It's already voting time, again, in Zimbabwe. Any new news ?
20 posted on 03/09/2002 10:37:38 PM PST by nopardons
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