Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.  – Rilke

Wednesday, 10 July
In the afternoon, a stone’s throw away from a big fat 4×4 with a SADC Observer sticker on it, a woman and her two dogs browse curios for sale at a market in Newlands. Election, what election?

Thursday, 11 July
As Harare wakes up, there are some signs of life from the two main political parties as election posters start to appear on the street. But they are far outnumbered by bright yellow posters advertising a night of stand-up comedy at a local theatre. Then again maybe that’s exactly what these elections are. Kombis – the people’s taxi service – have started to mobile message the election.

One of my favorite Zimbabwean bloggers, Takura Zhangazha, gives us a ten point guide to reading Zimbabwean Political Party Manifestos in 2013. Similar to the constitution, if you don’t read it, discuss it and question it, you’ll be a Rubber Stamper – yes, and who wants to be an RS? So uncool. Read Takura here, and download the manifestos from the Kubatana web site.

Sunday, 7 July
Midday, in Borrowdale village, a kombi pasted with election posters and filled with Zanu PF supporters did a drive around. A reminder to the elites that July might not be the month for sleeping easy.

Sunday, 7 July
In the afternoon on Enterprise Road a knot of Zanu PF supporters, one very visibly drunk, vociferous and pumped up in their new election regalia. Tshirts with slogans fade as do any election promises. Don’t they know that?

Wednesday, 10 July
Afternoon at the traffic circle in Newlands; a gathering of people, mostly women, with proceedings being officiated by some green caps with clipboards. Streams of people coming out of the police camp on their way to the gathering. New accommodation is being built for police staff and their families who live at the camp. Curious timing. Just enough built to give people hope that they’ll have some dignified living space but how long until the accommodation is completed?

Zimbabwe Alert
From MISA

Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Journalist arrested while taking photographs

Police in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, 9 July 2013 arrested Leopold Munhende, a journalist with The Mirror, in the southern town of Masvingo. Munhende was arrested while taking photographs of the voter registration process at the Registrar General’s Offices.

The arrest came at a time when Zimbabweans were jostling to register as voters before the lapse of the deadline that had been set on the same day.

The incident took place around 09.20hrs (CAT) and the journalist was taken to Masvingo Central Police station where he was charged with being a public nuisance in terms of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

More details to follow.

MISA-Zimbabwe