Last night I saw two jeeps full of soldiers parked in Newlands Shopping Centre – outside a fast food restaurant. The soldiers were sitting in the back wearing their white crash helmets . . . these two jeeps of military personnel usually accompany Mugabe’s motorcade as it powers its way through Harare. Its no wonder that they wear crash helmets because the motorcade travels faster than a speeding bullet. So it was quite strange to see these jeeps without Mugabe’s Mercedes. Or maybe Mugabe was lying on the floor of one of the jeeps clutching his takeaway chicken and chips – who’s to know?

A section of 7th Street is closed between 6pm and 6am because this is where State House is situated. Years ago Mugabe got scared so each night the regime puts up barriers at the corner of the 7th Street and Josiah Tongogara Avenue, and Zimbabweans are forced to detour. Last night saw an interesting addition to their usual arsenal of barriers, spikes and patrolling soldiers with guns and bayonets. Positioned facing what would be the direction of approaching protesters was a water canon.

When I saw this I was reminded of a quote from Howard Zinn:

Political power, however formidable, is more fragile than we think. Note how nervous are those who hold it.

In Zimbabwe, TV channel 138 is Zimbabwe’s state television station. Channels 280, 281 and 282 bring us the BBC, CNN and Sky News. You could be forgiven for going completely mad flicking between Mugabe’s state television and the western media – chalk and cheese, and then some. The western media gives us the impression that Mugabe has packed his bags and if he hasn’t already left, then he’s on his way to the airport – whether this is true or not is anyone’s guess, but everyone’s hope. Zimbabwe state television gives the impression that Zanu PF is still in control.

Yesterday during one of the breaks in the announcement of House of Assembly results, the dj started to spin Bob Marley’s song Zimbabwe and we all thought, maybe this is it – the revolution is being broadcast. Unfortunately it wasn’t. But I’d like to invite our fellow Zimbabweans working at the state broadcasters to interrupt the stream of propaganda that they’re spewing. Zimbabwean djs are on the frontline – help put a spanner in Mugabe’s media machine and stop being their messengers of lies. If you have a friend or family member working at ZTV or ZBC ask them to, as Bob Marley sings, liberate Zimbabwe.

In our election email newsletter yesterday we made a few suggestions as to what we (at Kubatana) would like to see change immediately in a free Zimbabwe. We know that there is also the Big Stuff that needs urgent attention (education, the health sector, rehabilitation of the police force etc) but here are some quick fire requests:

1. No more presidential portraits: let’s stop deifying our leaders
2. The President of Zimbabwe does not need an ambulance, 2 jeeps full of troops, several accompanying cars and ear splitting sirens when he travels through the city
3. Seventh Street is public space: this street should not be sealed off from the public between 6pm and 6am – we need openness
4. How about a Youth Parliament to facilitate the expression of Zimbabwean youth in national matters
5. More independent and community radio stations ~ free the airwaves and let dissent and debate flourish
6. Re-claim camouflage: some of us look cute in camo pants
7. Design new ballot papers for the next Presidential and Parliamentary elections ~ “none of the above” should be an acceptable expression of choice
8. Create an environment where the military and police don’t bully their way to the front of queues, or demand free travel on public transport
9. Free medical treatment for the aged, and orphans
10. No more bearers! We want “proper” money
11. The new president shouldn’t “hijack” our national carrier for state business, nor delay flights due to tardiness
12. Limit the term of office of the President
13. A new constitution within a reasonable time of the next President taking office
14. Specific respect for the rights of minorities

Our subscribers have also weighed in suggesting the following:

• I would like the new Zimbabwe to have an independent electoral commission that is non partisan that is not appointed by the President, preferably with a few members appointed from other bodies such as the Pan African movement.
• Where the government holds meetings where they actually listen to the will of the people and public meetings where the government can obtain suggestions from the public regarding national challenges so that government becomes truly participatory.
• Better checks and balances and accountability for all government officials.
• Annual government score cards by the public, academics and journalists as seen in S. African Mail and Guardian. – Where joy rather than fear rules and people are praised for the good works they do for the country.
• The government should have only 15 ministers.
• The new Independence Day should be 29th March to reflect the day Mugabe was voted out.
• 11 March 2009 should be a national commemoration of the day the police cracked down on Morgan Tsvangirai and members of civil society.
• Our new constitution should have a clause disqualifying people from standing as MPs who have been guilty of inciting the electorate to violence and using hate speech as well as committing actual physical harm.
• Reasonable income tax.
• Fair land distribution.
• Free medication for the terminally ill.
• More manufacturing and increased exports.

Comrade Fatso reminds us that whilst the fist has faltered it hasn’t quite fallen – yet. And that as the old man goes we must make sure that the new government is held accountable.

Anyone know someone with a truck? There’s a guy wanting to move all his stuff from State House to Zvimba. The jokes spread as text messages refer to our aged dictator relocating to his rural home. People really do believe this is a general election – because our generals decide who gets elected. Another joke walking the streets of Harare is that the only difference between an election and an erection is that you can’t rig the latter.

The mood is lightening in repressed Harare. The sun shines here too. With the MDC having claimed parliament people are beginning to dare to dream. Beginning to believe that the 10 year old dream may be coughing its first breaths. And that’s what it is – the first breaths. Alongside the first breaths of the new are the kicks of the collapsing jongwe. Now is a time where history can be made or unmade. The last kicks of the jongwe could be bloody. And the new birth already seems to have something of the old. There is the likelihood of ZANU PF elements being brought into an MDC government to pacify the armed forces and ZANU PF itself. Some say any new birth is better than the old. True. But the struggle will continue under any new government. We will have more democratic space that we will need to burst open. We will have to struggle to make sure a new government delivers social services, that it doesn’t repay illegitimate foreign debt, that it doesn’t privatise our resources into the hands of the new elites. The struggle will continue. Freedom is always on the horizon. And we have to keep marching.

So in the next few days let our joy be drunk with vision. The results we hear have to be defended by our actions. And when our actions win freedom and a new government let us know that the struggle continues. For our dreams of freedom to be born in our homes, our neighbourhoods, our communities. We are the dream.

This is Comrade Fatso’s Daily Blog during the Zimbabwe Election period. See www.comradefatso.vox.com

For Daily Election Blogs by other MAGAMBA! poets and activists see www.myspace.com/magamba

The MDC is claiming victory, the government is dismissing this and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is slowly letting results trickle out.

View more Zapiro cartoons here

Against brute force and injustice the people will have the last word.
That of victory.
- Che Guevara