Harare’s streets are deceptively quiet
One of my favourite pieces on the travesty which is Zimbabwe: Post Election is Tawanda Mudzonga’s This state we’re in:
An election happens and weeks later, no one knows the outcome. Life goes on. But behind each pleasant greeting and each stolen glance of the past three weeks there is unease. No one says a word, but we all feel it as we pass each other in the street. The distinct sense of expectation unfulfilled. We avoid each other’s eyes. The deception lies just below the surface, eyes veiled, hearts burning, and an anger and frustration hidden deep beneath social convention. Zimbabweans, famous for their infinite patience, are in shock. As a coping mechanism and alternative to violence, we have all adopted the distinctive reveal-nothing-and-remain-composed routine we have perfected as a collective cultural trait. Instead of raising our fists with violence, we collude and pretend that all is well. Harare is a broken machine, overflowing with repressed despair and misery. Emotionally exhausted from its decline, we protect ourselves from the open wounds of Zimbabwe’s stark reality.
. . .
Speculation is rife that the state will simply insist on a run-off and do Election 2.0. This time, they’re adopting Super Rigging: guaranteed results or your money back. And the MDC? After 8 years of trying, the MDC face the prospect of being outmanoeuvred once again. ZANU have done the unthinkable and are bluffing their way through with arrogance and the threat of their many degrees of violence. On the 29th of March, the nation participated in a fairly democratic process and unequivocally asked the fist to kindly step down please. ZANU, down but not out, simply turn the other way and plan their next move.