In Zimbabwe, it’s been 25 days since we voted, and we still don’t have any presidential results. In my part of Harare, it’s been five days since some electrical wires short circuited, and we still don’t have any power. Never mind Bev’s idea for a soothing Radox bath to ease my troubled mind. No power means no hot water, so my ablutions have been sorely compromised. I’m fed up. And I smell bad.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority has no answers as to when power might be restored. But at least they’re not making any excuses – unlike the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

The latest reason why we don’t have any presidential results is that, presumably, they’re conducting recounts in 23 constituencies. Never mind that, legally, you’re not supposed to do recounts until after the results have been announced. In which case, why are they recounting presidential ballots, as well as local government, House of Assembly, and Senate papers.

And never mind the non-transparency with which these recounts have been organised. Again, legally, a recount may be requested by a contesting party within 48 hours of when the results were announced, or it may be requested by ZEC within an unspecified time period. (Though the fact that this time period is unspecified seems to be more an error of misparagraphing by the drafters of the law, than a deliberate provision of the legislation).

There is no record of political parties having requested recounts in 23 constituencies within the stipulated 48 hour period. The state has been trying to cover up this violation by claiming that ZEC requested the recount. This claim is substantiated by ZEC’s General Notice announcing the recounts. But it has been undermined by Zanu PF’s own Pravda, The Herald newspaper, which claims that 21 of the recounts were requested by Zanu PF, and 2 by the MDC.

Oh, and never mind that these recounts are taking inordinately long – days longer than it took to count the votes in the first place. So far, they’ve only announced the results of one recount – Goromonzi West. This resulted in a whopping one vote gain for Zanu PF in the House of Assembly, and no substantive change in the party which won this seat (Zanu PF).

But hey. We’re just citizens. And it’s just legislation. Who are we to demand that it be followed? At this rate, we may as well not even have an Electoral Act, for as flagrantly as it is being violated.

Meanwhile, the delay seems to be primarily an excuse by Zanu PF to buy time, whilst they launch their campaign of retributive violence against those who had the temerity to support the MDC.

The whole thing is about as filthy and murky as my bath water will be whenever I can finally climb into the tub.

A Kubatana subscriber made some good points recently in the “should politics and sports mix” debate:

In the midst of all the negative news coming out of Zimbabwe of late, many may have missed the positive news of the legendary Kirsty Coventry, who having already won various medals in many an international swimming arena, continues to swim her way to the top of the world swimming rankings. Coventry broke the world’s oldest short-course record at the World Short Course Championships, recently held in Manchester England on April 12th. Kirsty also won a gold medal in the 200-meter individual medley. During her celebratory interviews, Kirsty Coventry excitedly spoke of her wins, and expressed how much she was looking forward to heading to Beijing China, to represent Zimbabwe at the Olympics in August.

Personally, I support Kirsty’s ascent to fame and swimming stardom, and have felt proud as a Zimbabwean as she has won medal after medal, and broken record after record over the years. However, I have to say I found myself pausing in some degree of disbelief at Ms. Coventry’s expressed anticipation of a visit to Beijing. Ms. Coventry was also asked a question about the crisis that was engulfing Zimbabwe as she, on the other end of the world, painted a positive image of the country. Ms. Coventry reportedly replied that she tries to “stay out of politics”. I do too ….. for the most part! But honestly, what Zimbabwean in this day and age has the luxury to “stay out of politics” !!!?

I think it would be wrong and almost hypocritical for Kirsty Coventry to go to China if she does qualify to go to the upcoming Olympics. Doing so would demonstrate, in my opinion, that she represents her own personal ambitions and interests, and not Zimbabwe’s. Her claim of efforts to “stay out of politics” though understandable are not realistic, and would in this instance be a betrayal of her claim at representing Zimbabwe as she swims her way to the top. Ms. Coventry instead, holds a unique position to represent Zimbabwe in a more meaningful and unselfish manner. As a world renowned Zimbabwean star athlete, she should either speak out against the atrocities going on in Zimbabwe, or quietly boycott China to show her solidarity with the ordinary Zimbabweans who have absolutely nothing to celebrate or look forward to at this particular time, except survival. Reports are coming out that as the ship carrying a consignment of weapons from China now stands to be recalled back to China, China on the other hand, is preparing another consignment of reportedly “more sophisticated” weapons to be flown directly from China to Harare within the coming week!!!

I am no politician, but I consider myself a fairly intelligent being. China’s disregard for the significance of its arms sales to Zimbabwe, demonstrates at best, an utter disregard and disinterest for the value of the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans who will certainly be massacred by these weapons, and at worst, demonstrates what many have said all along. China has no respect for human rights, and in Zimbabwe’s case, like in Rwanda, is seeking to facilitate, aid and enable genocide by the Mugabe regime. Even the pursuit for economic supremacy has its bounds, and no Zimbabwean should stand aside while China massacres our people as a stepping stone to economic supremacy. No Zimbabwean blood should aid China’s economic rise. As Mugabe cries foul to perceived new attempts at colonization of Zimbabwe by the West, he is willing to shed our blood as he hands over the country to those from the East. Even the apolitical Kirsty Coventry needs to look beyond the potential gold medals and the prospects of enhanced fame, and take a stand on one side or the other on this issue. I will be damned to find any Zimbabwean, a true Zimbabwean, anywhere in this world, who is truly “staying out of politics” today. Kirsty should certainly continue swimming her way to the top, but certainly not to China. She can still prove herself the best on other venues that will certainly present themselves in the future after China, but China is no venue for any Zimbabwean to be competing under any guise of any form of a positive spirit as is supposedly embodied by the Olympics. In my view, they might as well extinguish the Olympics torch when it gets to China, and carry on with the games instead of trying to pull a veil over the rest of us. There is nothing positive-spirited about China from an ordinary Zimbabwean’s perspective today, unless you are looking out for the personal gains that come from such an association with China. Currently, the only Zimbabweans I know of who are benefiting in any way from China are Mugabe and his cronies. Which side does Ms. Coventry stand, on this issue, in which EVERY other Zimbabweans has taken a stand?

Please share your views directly with Kirsty and also congratulate her on her wins on her blog (You’ll need to register to leave a comment).

While the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission drags its heels, and the MDC turns to the courts and the international community, a headline caught my eye: Only mass mobilisation can defeat the Mugabe dictatorship.

At last, I thought to myself.

In it, the International Socialist Organisation makes a few important points:

1) Zanu PF will remain in power by hook or by crook, unless otherwise compelled by mass mobilisation.

2) The people’s power route is only possible if there is “the urgent establishment of a united and democratic front of the commons and democrats, including organised labour, residents, informal traders, youths, students, women, progressive civic groups, socialists and other radicals.

3) The behaviour of the regime in refusing to announce the election results has more than vindicated the position of those who said that without a democratic constitution and mass mobilisation, the March election would not deliver change.

4) The MDC’s boycotting of the run-off, would be commendable, but is suspect in the circumstances. Instead of mobilising the masses who have overwhelmingly voted for it, … the MDC(T) has focused on calling for so-called “international community” intervention – code words for the Western countries – and sending its leaders on futile regional/international “diplomatic offensives”. Most damning, it is pacifying its members and civic groups by calling for restraint and not doing anything to provoke the regime. The MDC(T) is again going to Mugabe’s courts for relief, giving the regime cover to draw out the dispute and consolidate its positions.

The ISO recommends the mobilisation of mass resistance to electoral fraud, “starting with less confrontational methods that build confidence, such as pressure on the ZEC members to resign, especially those seconded by the opposition, regular mass prayer meetings, cascading into stayaways and general strikes and demonstrations.”

Now we’re talking.

Before the March 29 Election, my impression of Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr. David Parirenyatwa was that he was among the more “reasonable” of mugabe’s ministers. He had a good reputation, and the people I knew who had been on committees or at conferences or meetings with him seemed to respect him.

But Parirenyatwa being depicted in the media seems a very different man. He is accused of being instrumental to a campaign of post-election, retaliatory violence in Murehwa.

Dr Parirenyatwa, I challenge you to read stories such as these, and explain yourself.

• Mugabe minister accused of gun threats
• Health Minister Parirenyatwa Organising Violence in Murehwa
• MCDT condemns Parirenyatwa for ongoing violence in Murewa
• Widespread Political Violence Reported in Zimbabwe’s Rural Areas

If you would like to contact Dr David Parirenyatwa and challenge him about these reports, you can reach him on the details below:

Ministry of Health and Child Welfare
Box CY 1122, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 4 730 111-9
Email: npro_moh@gta.gov.zw (Ministry’s National Public Relations Officer)

Wondering what other Zimbabweans thought about Morgan Tsvangirai setting himself up in Botswana, we sent this text message to our subscribers:

Kubatana! Tsvangirai has based himself in Botswana claiming “It is no use going back to Zim & becoming captive. Then you are not effective.” What do you think?

Here are some of their replies:

Being captured will trigger worldwide pressure or outcry. Zimbabwe’s problems are taking long because everyone is going away.

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Yes, its ok for him to be there because Zanu lost the election. They are in heart pain and they could kill our new selected leader.

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MT must address the public because soon it will be No Hope and that will be the worst because it will nurture a defeatist attitude that will thwart any progress towards revolution.

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Aiwazve let him stand his ground. The music iz playing. He has 2face it lyk a man. Come bak Mr President u havent lost yet

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He made the wrong decision

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He has let zim down and its cowardice of Tsvangirai to do that

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50/50. Maybe cowardice creeping in. He MUST be with the pple at this hour!

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It’s a good idea. He can work out strategies better in another country than here.

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We want him back 2 finish the struggle to freedom he started we are here to support him as we showed him on 29 March

23 days after the election, and still no results.

Did you know . . . ?

• There is no six day limit within which election results must be announced (contrary to what Deputy Minister of Information Bright Matonga said). But, the whole vote counting process shouldn’t take more than a few hours at each polling station, and the compilation of these subtotals shouldn’t take more than a few hours after that. And, after that, results are meant to be announced “forthwith,” not days or weeks after the election.
• Cabinet may have been dissolved, but mugabe’s ministers retain their positions until the next president is sworn in.
• The presidential returns would have been received by the Chief Election Officer with the House and Senate results – so there was no reason for them not to have been announced by now.
• The fact that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission can call for a recount more than 48 hours after election results have been announced seems to be an error of misparagraphing, an oversight by the drafters of the Electoral Act, not a deliberate provision of the law.

Read The inconvenient truth: A complete guide to the delay in releasing the results of Zimbabwe’s presidential poll, and find answers to all your questions on Zimbabwe’s 2008 election procedure.