A few weeks ago, I found a leaking water pipe where I stay. I phoned a plumber, who came to look that very day, who reported that unfortunately the leak was below the meter – Which meant as a private plumber they weren’t allowed to do the work on the leak – I had to get in touch with City of Harare, as the leak was on their system.

The good news, I suppose, is that at least that meant there was a trickle of municipal water flowing through the system. The bad news was that I needed City of Harare to do the work.

After three weeks of phoning them several times each week, the City finally sent a crew round to take a look. They closed off the connection to the city water service, dug up the problematic pipe, and found it so corroded it practically crumbled when they lifted it out of the ground. But, they said, they couldn’t do anything more – They don’t have the material. So they left.

I phoned them again this morning to find out what to do now. We don’t have the material, I was told, but if you want us to do the work “chop chop” you can buy what we need and we can come do the work. If I have to buy the material myself, I asked, can I not just hire a private plumber to come and do the work? Nope – The problem is below the meter. So, I ask, I’m no plumber. How do I know what I need to get? We can come today to take another look and give you a list of supplies you can buy.

So, it takes three weeks for the City to come and address the problem in the first place. But coming to take a look to come up with a shopping list for a hostage resident is a same-day service.

Oh, and, it was very clear on the phone – They won’t pay me back for whatever I get.

Unfortunately, in a spirit of civic mindedness, I have been faithfully paying my council bills since 2009, so I won’t benefit from the write off of debts to the City. And, in all this time, my bill paying has resulted in sporadic rubbish collection, occasional patching of potholes (which doesn’t come anywhere close to addressing the dire state of our roads), street lights which don’t function, and a municipal water supply conspicuous by its absence. To add insult to injury, even as a rate payer, I don’t benefit from any investment in the city’s infrastructure – I have to buy my own material to ensure that the City will do work I am not allowed to contract a private plumber to do. Tell me again, what’s the incentive to continue to pay?

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister, Movement for Democratic Change President Morgan Tsvangirai has filed an election petition with the Constitutional Court. In it, he lists “numerous corrupt and illegal practices and other electoral malpractices and irregularities.” Tsvangirai argues that Zimbabwe’s 31 July election is void, and asks that it be set aside.

Tsvangirai’s election petition speaks of bribery, media bias, misuse of voter registration slips, turning away of voters at polling stations, problems with the use of assisted voting, and other irregularities. You can read the document submitted to the Constitutional Court here.

The case is set to be heard at the Constitutional Court tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm.

However, regardless of the number of irregularities, or the strength of his case, the presidential election petition seems unlikely to change much in Zimbabwe. The Constitutional Court which will hear it is the Court of judges, appointed by President Mugabe, who created Zimbabwe’s 31 July farce election in their first Constitutional Court judgement of 31 May.

As one Kubatana supporter put it: “Tsvangirai should go for Plan B because going to court will change nothing. He will never win this battle against Mugabe.”

Update: In an affidavit submitted to the Constitutional Court the afternoon of Friday, 16 August, Tsvangirai said “it is with deep regret and sadness” that he was withdrawing the Presidential Election Petition. You can read Tsvangirai’s affidavit withdrawing the election petition to Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court here.

Following the MDC’s statement on 1 August declaring Zimbabwe’s 31 July harmonised election illegitimate, and their 3 August decision to boycott institutions of government, we asked our subscribers the following question:

Kubatana! With the MDC-T calling the election illegitimate should their elected MPs & councillors take up their seats or boycott Parliament & local government?

Around 2/3 of respondents said the MDC should boycott Parliament and local government, and not take up their seats as MPs or councillors. (This is about the same ratio that thought the 31 July election date was too soon in the first place.) The main reason for this was that to take up their seats would be to legitimise an election the MDC has called illegitimate. There was a strong sense from subscribers that “the MDC cannot have it both ways. Some respondents also thought that the MDC wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything by taking up their seats, or that Zanu PF should be left to govern the country on its own.

About 30% of respondents said the MDC should take up their seats, primarily because they had a mandate or responsibility from the people who had elected them. A few thought it was unrealistic to expect the MDC to boycott their seats, because of the benefits individual MPs and councillors get from being in office.

A small percentage were undecided or had mixed opinions on the issue.

We’ve published all of the feedback we’ve received so far here. Also, where we knew where a subscriber was writing from, we plotted their response on a map, to show the geographic distribution of opinion.

A small sampling of responses includes:

• I’m so angry at the moment that I would rather not answer that question.
• The should not and let them rule the country vari vega if the elections were free and fair the winning party why is it victimising the losing one s suporters
• yes they should boycott coz once they participate they will legitimize the fradulant election
• They should stay with the pple! Why go to parly when we know that even their results were doctored to mollify us. Mugabe and his party won – let him rule alone!
• They shd let zanu pf go it alone or since zpf intends to subvert the wil of e pple thru constitutn amndments mdc shdnt be part of it
• MDC-T elected MPs & councillors should take up their seats so as not to dissapoint pple who chose them.
• Only if they have something to do
• Plse advise mdc-t mps not to boycot. We know what happened and we heavily backing the mdc-t party. Let the skeleton mp representation fill their places in the palamnt even if they are going to snow there. They should sit in parliament and preserve the smoldering light of mdc-t. Don’t they learn frm zanu ndonga which kept its 1 seat for 20yrs? Its falling down in an unfortold political playground tricks. When politicians fall down they should stand up and run again. Why boycoting? Be like solders! We will there one day.
• They must boycott taking up of seats 2 show our disappointments. The people will speak what next. Dont be traped using money. We mustn’t be greedy about salaries.
• Mgabe’s silly, did anounced presidential results in 2 Days. In 2008 it took him a quarter year, his a typical thief. We will not loose hope. In protest our MDC MPs shoudn’t get in the parliament of cronies.
• They should not take part in council or parliament business bt Mdc must give them allowances so that they are nt tempted by the lv fo money
• That has always been the problem with MDC.They must not participert in anyway.Look at what GNU begot and the Zumas are now saying to Tsvangirai accept results.
• Participating means legitimising the illigitimate they should not b part of it people are angry
• The MDC-Ts must not take the seat because if they take the seat that means they have agred with the results
• They shoud have nothing to do with this guvnment of thieves.If they do they will have betrayed us, themselves as well.
• These are crying babies.those who won deserve their seats
• Now it’s tight it was better to boycott 31 July polls coz if they do that what about those people who elected?
• They should boycott to show the illegitimace.
• They should not take part in any part because if the election is rejected and participating amounts to acceptance which is a contradiction.
• Mr T may keep quiet but shld let Spksman, Sec Gen, Org Sec rouse the bulldust if not satisfied. Tell him so. Chiefs did lot of damage for playing fierce dragon.
• Stupid and foolish MDC candidates without Zimbabwe at heart can boycot.In elections one loses or wins. Respect results and the law.
• The must not sit with those wolves.They stole our vote and try to make it a normal process.Obasanjo, may the Lord forgive him for tellin’ the opposite of what he saw.
• They should not boycot they were elected by people who want them to serve them .they are boycoting the electorate
• They should boycot, otherwise taking up the duties will legitimise the illegitimate
• They should boycot becoz if they take office posts it will be free &fair election
• They shld not even try to work with wolfs, instead they shld concerntrate about giving their party members information about the way forward & the stance to take so that the will of the pple of zimbabwe are met without fear of the unknown person.we demand our right now !
• They should boycott .Their presents would legitimise everything after all they will never have an impact

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According to today’s NewsDay, the price of fuel has gone up from around $1.50 / litre for petrol to $1.70 / litre for petrol following last week’s election. It seems pretty hard to believe that this is what Zimbabweans were hoping would be the most immediate result of a Zanu PF win. If you haven’t already read it, check out the Zanu PF 2013 election manifesto. Since they’ve got such a resounding victory, they shouldn’t have any problems making good on their promises to develop, empower and employ Zimbabweans.

Update 6 August: Herald headline – Fuel price increase reports false: Zera

Zimbabwe’s dry winter months may mean that the veld fire danger is high. But the risk of people power exploding in the streets is low. The weather is cold, the sky is grey. Despite the MDC’s announcement that Zimbabwe’s 2013 harmonised election was illegitimate, it’s business as usual in Harare today.

Never my first choice for ear candy, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) news bulletins make for particularly depressing listening tonight.

Not known for its balanced reporting, the state broadcaster’s definition of “news” generally leaves a lot to be desired. But it is probably safe to assume that, especially during Zimbabwe’s elections, ZBC’s reports mirror the government’s (Zanu PF’s) position.

Whilst the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has yet to release election results, the news on ZBC radio tells me that “analysts” refer to a “Zanu PF landslide,” with Zanu PF winning municipal council majorities in places like Gwanda North. (Given the pesky businesses with Gukurahundi, this is difficult to believe). It also references last year’s Freedom House report, which noted an increase in Zanu PF’s support.

So yes. It is too early to say. Hopefully I will be proven wrong! But it sounds like the results which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announces will be heavily in favour of Zanu PF. They may even give Zanu PF a 2/3 majority in Parliament, which would certainly be useful to them.

Note I don’t say “the election results.” Zimbabwe’s election was flawed from the day President Mugabe proclaimed the election date. This date was conveniently in line with a judgement from the newly-formed Constitutional Court. But inconveniently illegally declared, called for unconstitutionally promulgated changes to the Electoral Act, and required the election to break its own rules, by holding Nomination Court whilst voter registration was still open. And let’s not talk about the voters’ roll or special voting.

At the time, MDC’s President (and Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister) Morgan Tsvangirai vowed he would not stand by whilst “Zimbabwe was railroaded to another illegitimate election.” But, it would appear, that is exactly what he did. In a press briefing today, he said:

This election has been a huge farce. Its credibility has been marred by administrative and legal violations which affect the legitimacy of its outcome. The outcome of this election is illegitimate. But more importantly, the shoddy manner in which it has been conducted and the consequent illegitimacy of the result will plunge this country into a serious crisis.

But, calling foul after polling has closed, makes it easy for ZBC (and others) to label him as simply a sore loser.

As Foreign Affairs pointed our recently:

If Robert Mugabe has his way, the results of Zimbabwe’s July 31, 2013, presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections will have been determined before a single ballot is cast. The wily 89-year-old autocratic president, in power for 33 years, has put in place a system of security, legal, fiscal, and administrative measures aimed at again returning his Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) to national office.

The real tragedy isn’t Zimbabweans stolen ballots. Its that they were ever allowed to cast them in an election that was illegal and unconstitutional from the day it was announced. Like Marko Phiri pointed out when Mugabe announced the election date six weeks ago, “if Mugabe can unilaterally call for polls, what is to stop him from declaring himself the winner” (regardless of whether he actually won or not).