Zanu PF activists clearly came campaigning in my neighbourhood last night. I came home to find their posters littering the streets. I tore one out of my hedge and crumpled it up with an irritation that was less about the poster itself and more about my outrage with what this regime has done to Zimbabwe.

“This is your era. This is your time. The people must be empowered,” reads the slogan on the poster. Yeah, right. Whose time is it Bob? It’s not WOZA’s time – Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu are still being held at Chikurubi Female Prison – their 21st night in custody rapidly approaching.

It’s not you’re time if you’re poor or hungry or struggling to make ends meet. And it’s even less your time if you’re all of those things and yet still dare to have an opinion of your own. A 12-year old boy from Epworth came to our office yesterday looking for assistance. He is now orphaned – his mother, who had long been in an up and down battle with AIDS, had her legs broken for refusing to go to a Zanu PF rally. In her already weakened condition, and too poor to get medical attention, she didn’t survive the attack. He and his mother were barely eking out a living before. And now?

And it’s certainly not your time if you disagree with the current regime – take these stories from the Lowveld:

Bikita West
The manager of Bikita Minerals, Nigel Macphail and his girl friend Susara Van Greunen were severely assaulted by some 60 ZANU PF militia at there mine offices on the 12th June. It seems that there were two reasons why they were assaulted, the first being that they were MDC supporters and the second reason was because Susara took workers who had been beaten by the same militia the day before to Masvingo Hospita, for treatment of wounds inflicted on them. Nigel had been told that they were not to assist the injured workers. The owners have also been given 10 days to pack up and leave the mine. The Bikita police had prior warning of the impending attacks, but were ordered not respond. The Masvingo Province Governor Mavhaire who is a staunch ZANU PF and is on the Board of Directors of Bikita Minerals also new of the impending attacks but refused to intervene. The mine is situated 80km to the East of Masvingo on the Birchenough Bridge Road.

Bikita East
Some 20 armed militia attacked and burned part of the Mutari Holiday Resort complex on the banks of the Save River. The resort is run by the MDC winning candidate Mr Mililo, the winning MDC councilor for that ward with some employees were severely beaten and a lot of bedding and equipment was stolen Mr Mililo fled to South Africa a week ago when he received death threats from the militia.

Mwenezi West
In the Maranda communal area on the night of the 12th June, two people were bludgeoned to death by militia after being forced to swear allegiance to ZANU PF and 50 others were badly beaten. The police did respond at first but were prevented and threatened by the militia, they have asked for reinforcements so that they can safely investigate this attack.

Mwenezi East
On the night of the 13th June, Chris Muzenda’s house was burned to the ground, he was not there at the time and the report indicated that no one was injured. He was guilty of being an MDC supporter and assisted with the elections on the 29th March.

But of course, it is our time – our time to stand up and say we’ve had enough. Our time to demand something better.

View more

Whilst Mugabe fiddles about food in Rome, Zimbabwe is burning. With three weeks till the run off, the election violence continues. The images from a petrol bomb attack in Zaka support with the reports we received below, from an MDC supporter in Masvingo Province.

Zaka

Our Zaka command centre was attacked last night by ZANU PF militia who shot 7 of the MDC supporters there and went on to burn there bodies with the fuel that had been supplied them for campaigning purposes. The Zaka police are trying to down play this incident by saying that only three people have been killed.

Chirezi North

The secretary Nelson Mangwayana’s house at Mkwasine Estate was attacked by people brought there in 2 Mistabushi pick ups last night. He was not there and his wife managed to escape with her children, the militia broke windows and took some goods and radio equipment. The family is now homeless and he is unable to go back to work at Mkwasine Estate. Everyone including management of the Mkwasine estate are being forced to go to ZANU meetings where they have to keep pledging there allegiance.

Chiredzi South

At 2.30am I received a message that the chairman for ward 10 Satan who lives at Chilonga has been abducted with 2 youths. His son who saw the abduction said that 2 white pick ups came to the house and at gun point forced him into a vehicle. As they left he Satan managed to shout his farewells to his family. Suspect who directed this are Matemachani, Edson Chauke (otherwise Right Chimbere), Phillimon Magezani and David Knuka.

For another account of events in Zaka, visit this blog:

Six MDC officials, sleeping in their office, were woken by the arrival of an armed gang at 4am. The armed men forced the officials to lie down and shot three people immediately. (I pray to any available God that they were killed outright). Petrol was poured over them all and they were set alight. The man I am talking to managed to tear off his clothes, beat out the flames burning his body and escape. Two men are dead, their bodies unrecognisably burned, and another suspected dead but his body is missing. Two men have burns over large areas of their bodies. They will be lucky to live.

To climb a mountain takes courage and strength, yet to overcome the cliffs of despair takes even greater courage and strength.

When suffering comes, it is time to go on rather than stop;
it is time to accept rather than reject;
it is time for courage rather than weakness;
it is time to look forward rather than back;
it is time to understand rather than question.

In loss, not all is lost, for memories are left to be cherished.
In darkness, light is needed.
In confusion, clarity is needed.
In despair, hope is needed.

- Prem Rawat

So the worst fears have been confirmed. CHRA and MDC activist and community organiser Tonderai Ndira, who was abducted from his home last week, has been found dead. Reportedly they had cut off his lips and cut out his tongue.

As Comrade Fatso put it:

Dead. A cold body in a mortuary. That’s how they found Tonde today. Abducted last week, he was tortured and beaten to death. An inspiring, young township freedom fighter whose words were in my ears last week, his breathing body in my eyes. Today the breath has been beaten out of him because he dared to believe that his people could be free. And dreams here are criminal things these days.

Tonderai Ndira was an example of everything that this military junta is trying to weed out and destroy. An energetic township organizer for the MDC, Tonde was inspiring to watch as he would lead us through his tree-lined Mabvuku suburb showing us his community’s problems and how they were determined to solve them. He was a true community activist, greeted by all who walked by and more popular than the local MP.

Once me and other comrades joined him for one of the most creative actions I’ve been in here. Mabvuku has had endless water shortages due to a corrupt City Council so letters supposedly from the Council were sent out to residents calling on them to come to the local Mabvuku council offices to discuss their plight. Soon there was a gathering at the offices of hundreds of Mabvuku residents, from water-bucket-on-head grandmothers to dread-locked scud-in-hand youths. The council representatives were overwhelmed and denied ever sending the letters. Angry residents told the officials and police where they wanted to stick their empty water buckets. Tonde, as usual, was in the forefront. The young and the old were united in their disdain for the answer-less officials. The riot police were called in. Santana trucks began hungrily chasing us and other township youths as we all evaporated into the sprawled out veins of dusty Mabvuku. But the point was made. No justice for us. No respect for you. And that is the message that Tonde’s activism has left written in the soil of his much-loved Mabvuku.

A few weeks ago Tendai Biti told the BBC: “If Mugabe thinks he’s going to get a default presidency, that will be over our dead bodies.”

Well, Biti, Mugabe has been the default president for the past two months. And it is over our dead bodies. 43 and counting. After the March election, the MDC said it was reluctant to organise popular actions in protest because they didn’t want to see people killed by the regime.

But the regime is killing people. And the run off isn’t for another five weeks. How many more of our friends, comrades, brothers, sisters, parents and children will we lose between now and then. And what is the MDC’s plan to ensure that this time, in this election, they take power? Because without concrete steps that see them convert an election victory to a term in office, what have Tonde, Tapiwa, Better and all the others died for?

I’ve had the lyrics of a typically heavy and raucous Rage Against the Machine song in my head – Take the Power Back.

The rage is relentless
We need a movement with a quickness
You are the witness of change
And to counteract
We gotta take the power back
Yeah, we gotta take the power back

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has extended until 31 July the date by when the Presidential run off must be held. However, given the timings of other outstanding by-elections, it is anticipated that they could be announcing the date of the runoff soon – and that it might well be in late June.

Regardless of the date of the runoff, it will be just one more stolen election unless we figure out how to stop election fraud and thieving. While the MDC is planning its runoff campaign, it should also be planning its take power campaign – how does it not just declare victory, but convert that election victory into taking power.

As Zimbabweans, we also have to start taking our power – from the politicians and unelected ministers and military authorities who are running the country instead of the democratically elected parliament.

A subscriber recently sent us this suggestion for a symbolic action people could do to stand up for ourselves and reclaim our power – and our country.

I suggest that people start being proud of the Zimbabwean flag, I bought five small flags in the form of a brooch for myself and my friends. I am wearing it everyday. The ZANU PF politicians monopolise the flag and other national symbols. Lets have the flags on our desks and be proud of OUR COUNTRY Zimbabwe.

A Stand Up (for) Zimbabwe Campaign has been formed, and is calling for an International Day of Action on 25 May. They are encouraging people to hold local actions to show solidarity for those affected by post-election violence.

It is envisaged that on this day there would, for example, be protests and assemblies outside offices of the Zimbabwean government, like embassies; outside offices of SADC, the AU and the UN calling for stronger action; outside offices of those individual governments which have roles to play in resolving the crisis (specifically southern African governments). All such protests and assemblies might be marked, for example, by a few minutes silence in which all those assembled stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. But the campaign can also be carried out through other activities: through asking congregations assembled at places of worship to rise and stand in solidarity with those beaten, tortured and killed in the post-election violence in Zimbabwe; by asking those gathered to watch sporting events to do the same.

Find out more about how to make sure your local action is part of this campaign here

Email us your ideas taking our power back to info [at] kubatana [dot] org [dot] zw or SMS +263 912 452 201