I packed my bag and in it I put some honey, butter, bread and a can of mace. Destination? I was going to check out the polling stations in my area and then have some breakfast with a couple of comrades. OK so the mace might be ineffectual when faced by a gang of militia but it made me feel a tiny bit safer. In the Greendale and Highlands suburbs of Harare the voting queues were really, really (I mean really) small. Which I took to be A Good Sign.

Despite the heavy Zanu PF intimidation Zimbabweans look like they’re shunning the poll.

Later in the morning we decided that today was a good day to visit two inspiring women activists detained in Chikurubi Female Prison. Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, the leaders of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) have spent 29 days in prison. Read about their case here.

We took the back route to Chikurubi Prison, more by mistake than by design, so we spent a bit of time driving through the bush on the outskirts of Harare. At one point we had to stop and ask for directions. I guess today wasn’t the best day to be doing this and my nerves were jangling, quite a bit. When we finally arrived at the prison gates we handed over our IDs and the warder wrote our names, ID numbers and who we were visiting on a small scrap of paper. After a 10 minute walk through the dust and lots of laundry hanging in the sun, including several versions of Robert Mugabe’s election campaign T shit (oops, my spelling mistake), we finally got to the prison building where Jenni and Magodonga are being held. For 30 minutes we sat on a small wooden bench chatting with them through a fence. They are both well and in good spirits but they’ve had enough of sleeping on a concrete floor. They want to go home. I handed a few small gifts through the holes in the fence; an orange, potato chips, sweets and a few sanitary towels. The warder banned the jar of honey for some reason.

As I was lying in the bath this morning I was getting increasingly agitated (no amount of radox could help) about the fact that Tendai Biti, the Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general gets released from prison as part of an elite political deal, but Jenni and Magodonga are still in detention. An example of women either being forgotten, or fucked over by the system.

Please help to draw more attention to the unjust incarceration of Jenni and Magodonga by writing to Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, asking them to step up the pressure.

As usual fearful rumours are circulating fast and furiously in Zimbabwe. And new media is aiding and abetting their viral spread.

I had a “cold one” yesterday evening with a friend of mine, and over our chill out at the end of the day drink, she showed me a text message that she’d just received. The message warned that an informal curfew was in place and that people should be in their homes by 9pm. It was attributed to some fictitious civil society organisation. The whole thing had the regime’s fingerprints all over it. But instead of sending it smartly into text message wasteland, people have been forwarding it to one another and spooking themselves shitless. One has to ask WHY? Why let unverified, random information curb your movement and frighten you?

And then there’s an email that’s doing the rounds which suggests that if you voted in the 29th March election then you have to vote in this one. Otherwise the regime will interpret your absence as MDC support and they’ll come and track you down and chop your head off. That’s an awful lot of paperwork and chopping that they are going to have to do to follow through on this ridiculous suggestion. Again its regime propaganda put out there to intimidate us.

Of course it’s difficult to stay optimistic, hopeful and confident amidst the violence and the harassment that so many of us are experiencing, but at the very least we have to court our courage, rather than let the regime fill us with fear.

And in the meantime, at Kubatana we’ve received frustrated emails from various subscribers criticising the MDC’s late withdrawal from the election. Here is what Shepherd and Regis had to say:

Lest there is some confusion as to where I stand, I do not support the leadership of Robert Mugabe and I condemn the violent campaign he has been waging. But Morgan has showed his lack of leadership skills in the past few days and has left me wondering what his true motives for opposing Mugabe are. He spends months globe trotting only to come back  when  there  is  barely  enough  time  to  campaign. Zanu PF was  already  on  a  violent  campaign  trail  then. Why  didn’t  Tsvangirai  pull  out  of  the  presidential  run off  then? He has chosen to pull out at the last moment and will hand Mugabe the legitimacy he so craves. Zanu PF supporters will vote tomorrow and a handful of MDC supporters will also vote. Guess what that means? And whats this drama of rushing to ‘hide’ in the Dutch Embassy? What happened to him when he eventually came out? Nothing. Whats this nonsense of calling a press conference where only the foreign media was invited to announce his withdrawal before officially informing ZEC and before informing the electorate? Whose struggle is it anyway?

——–

Yes, I agree that boycotting is the best but would it not be absolutely wonderful if we had more time then we all mobilise the voters to all go and vote tomorrow but spoil our votes. Just imagine more spoiled votes than those who vote for Mugabe. It would show massive support for Tsvangirai but at the same time show that this election is a sham. I wish the withdrawal had been much earlier is this message would have got ot the voters!!!

Take cover! Mugabe’s been stripped of his honorary knighthood. Wow. I bet he’s crying into his pillow. Meanwhile Tesco confirm that they won’t stop doing business with Zimbabwe and Anglo American have decided to continue with their multi-million dollar investment in platinum mining. And Odinga, outspoken fellow that he is, while calling for the isolation of Zimbabwe, hasn’t suggested imposing any sanctions or stopping any trade, any time soon. Well, actually any time at all really.

Beleaguered Zimbabweans are not short of words of comfort. What we need is brave decisive action from international and regional individuals, organisations and governments interested in the restoration of law and order in Zimbabwe. Perhaps Odinga could withdraw Kenya’s diplomatic presence in Zimbabwe and shut their embassy here. Or perhaps Kenya Airways will refuse to fly into the eye of Zimbabwe’s dictatorship?

Until words meet action on the part of so-called concerned well wishers, Zimbabwe will remain the personal playground of Mugabe.

News from around the country, from community based sources

Chiredzi and Zaka
Got the email below this morning and yes it is true, this message is being passed to voters in the Lowveld and we have no doubt now that the ZANU militia and military are capable off carrying this threat out.

Folk here are being given a number with which to vote with.  They have been threatened that if they don’t vote they will have their heads cut off. They are asking what do they do?

I have a solid report that there are 52 unidentified bodies in the Chiredzi hospital morgue.

At 200pm war vets and militia cut down trees on the side of the main road to Chiredzi, to make road blocks to stop motorists and force them to go to their pungwe’s, where they had to show their allegiance to Mugabe.

We have many MDC officials and supporters who have no means of support; they have lost their homes and jobs.

Chegutu
MDC Senator Violet Panavaviri had her house stoned and vandalized by Zanu PF youth on 23-06-08. Four houses belonging to MDC supporters were stoned and vandalized at Alaska Mine. No injuries were reported. Fifteen houses belonging to MDC supporters were destroyed at Shackledon Mine. Five MDC supporters were injured in the attacks and a woman had her leg broken. Fifty people were displaced and are staying at the MP’s home. Food aid is urgently needed.

Chinhoyi
An MDC youth, Harris Gutsa was attacked and beaten to a pulp by Zanu PF militia in the morning for wearing MDC party regalia. He is currently hospitalized at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital.

Zvimba West
Fifteen people from Ward 4 were displaced after their homes where attacked and vandalized by Zanu PF youth.

Makonde
Four houses belonging to MDC supporters were burnt to the ground today by a marauding band of Zanu PF militia. The victims are staying at the MP’s house in Chinhoyi and food aid is urgently required. Ward 10, where the Provincial Chairman resides was attacked last night by Zanu PF militia. Women and children were beaten up and property was looted.

Banket
Three houses including the MP’s were vandalized by Zanu PF militia yesterday. The families have sought refuge in Chinhoyi.

Hwange
The hospital that the wife of Mike Phiri (Prov administrator) works has been accused of “harboring” MDC supporters and she has been asked to leave.

Binga
This morning a text message came in from Elvis the lawyer. “In Binga all shops were ordered to close.  They tried to force us into vehicles so that we attended a meeting in Manjolo”.

Masi, Jamu and I
wave our hands to the President.
The windows of his limo
are tinted
and are always closed.
The motorcade travels fast
but Masi and Jamu say
the President waves back.

We wave our hands
every time the motorcade passes
in the hope it will stop
to drop a coin.

But we hear
the chauffeur does not know
the ‘Give-way’ sign
nor the ‘Stop’ sign.

~ Julius Chingono, Zimbabwean poet, 1996