I received a bulk text message from Kubatana Wednesday morning to say Mrs. Chirota’s funeral was that day at 1400.

Her husband was elected to Harare City Council. The Councillors met on a Monday, on their own, because the man who claims to be the Local Government Minister will not let them be sworn in. So they went ahead and elected Mr. Chirota to be mayor of Harare. That night his house was burnt down, and wife and 4-year-old child abducted. Mrs Chirota’s body was found on Thursday.

Even if the dictatorship/regime wail long and hard that ‘they are not the ones’ who do the killings, the simple fact that the wife of the Mayor of Zimbabwe’s Capital city can be abducted and murdered, and no one has been arrested for it, shows that there is no law and order in this country. Any government’s job is to provide security for it’s citizens. Therefore, one must conclude, that they are not a government.

However, back to the funeral. I went by bike. Not terribly respectful but the constraints of the day do not allow us to do what is the best. On a cold and gloomy day Warren Hills Cemetry was full of people. Mrs. Chirota was laid to rest in front of well over a hundred mourners. The right words were said, some women sang a medley of songs, and all the right stuff done. That was good. However, it does not detract from the fact that the whole event was BAD. It should not have been happening. The event that led up to it was criminal.

I heard a rumour that Mrs. Chirota comes from a Zanu family. And the family tried to keep the whole thing low key, friends only. So it would seem that the wrong person was killed? It was also rather incongruous (to me) that some of the women in the choir had R G Mugabe head scarves on. Again, seems like the wrong person was killed. Is the killing that indiscriminate? Or is it that I do not have the ‘correct’ story?

I ended up having some discussions with my elected Councillor. We really need to get things done, even if just to remember her well. Give the people a choice. Do they want to go with the killers, or go with the people trying to get the rubbish taken away? While the cost of taking the rubbish out is high
(potential death), we must work along these lines. Elections are only one way to get ‘authority’. They certainly will not work if there is only one person to vote for. The other way (major way) of establishing your authority as a leader, is by leading. So even if you are the lead rubbish removal authority, you are the leader. The one who does not get the rubbish out is a failed leader.

So, now what is happening? He is waiting.

I mentioned, perhaps not in this forum, that in four days the mood would be lost. Four days have gone (maybe I got the time wrong) but he is waiting for attention to leave Zimbabwe, then he will steal the election. Again. And the opposition (led by the MDC, or not led as the case may be) will sit around and do nothing. Lots of talks, going to the courts, and all that excuse for inactivity, but they will do nothing.

But does he have a choice? On one level you feel sorry for him. Although in the real world it is impossible to feel sorry. He cannot step down. He is riding the tiger. And many are on that tiger with him (the military and the corrupt elite). How can he step down? He cannot trust any local persons – any more than they could trust him. He stands the very real risk of ‘next stop, the Hague’. Him and many others in power (on the tiger).

He cannot trust the neighbours. (Any more than they can trust him). Charles Taylor going to ‘exile’ in Nigeria is a glaring factor in that equation. Off goes Charlie for a nice little corruptly and bloodily earned rest in a place where he is guaranteed safety, and suddenly, he is behind bars in Europe!

So what choice does he have? Stay in power (he and his gang), where the means of violence are readily available (and they do have degrees in violence, the University of Edinburgh cannot take those degrees from him), or shuffle off defeated (even if a ‘dignified’ defeat), and wait for violence to be done to you (not that the ICC will ever sentence anyone to death)? So what choice – use power (in the rawest sense of the word) from a position of power, where you can mete it out with a limited chance it will come back and bite you, or leave, to a place where there is a good chance that it will come along and bite you? And this is not a question he is asking alone.

So a run-off.

Note the difference between the vote and the count. There is every indication that the vote will go against him. It was an apathetic turnout at the real elections. The run off will not be apathetic. And there was a large number of pro-incumbent votes out from loyalty (a term used loosely to indicate those riding the same tiger as the incumbent) at the real election. This will not be a vote that can be relied on again. Makoni has survived this long, it shows you can leave the party without being hammered into the ground.

And then the count. There is massive experience amongst those with the degrees in violence with this. The ground work is being laid. The War Vets are being called out. The ZEC is being accused of irregularities (a cover story). A recount of 16 constituencies is being called for (again, a smoke screen). And a recount of the Presidential vote is being called for (how you can have a recount before you ‘know’ what the count is???) All ground work for a ‘better’ result being warranted.

However, as I also said, a change has happened.

My Masters paper was on Banda leaving Malawi. I noticed that Banda used party secretary-generals as scapegoats. He would ‘allow’ them to do his bidding (i.e. suppress all revolt, dissent, etc) and then ‘discover’ that they were ‘mean evil people’, and, for his beloved people he would credit the Secretary-General with all the blame and have them removed. Eventually (after years and Dick Mutenje) people stopped wanting to be the party Secretary-General, and those who unfortunately were just did not seem to be able to do his bidding. So Banda lost a tool. A method. A mechanism to stay in power. But it had worked in the meantime. Banda stayed in power until he was 94 (approximately) and had a brain tumor.

I think he has done the same with Zanu PF. While he has retained power, he has now lost, or is losing, the party. The military coup that we have been subjected to (I use ‘military’ to define those who were the old ZANLA High Command) is very near the surface now. Since 1997 (or even 1996), the minister in charge of every uniformed and armed ministry (Army, Air Force, Police, Prison Services, National Parks) was a ‘retired’ soldier. Since sometime in the 2000s (possibly 2004) every single Permanent Secretary in every single ministry was a ‘retired’ soldier. And more recently (2006 or 7?) the Joint Operations Command (JOC) has been meeting regularly with our president. Who tells who what to do in these meetings? We are controlled (maybe not ruled) by a military junta.

So what is the solution?

I do not know. That is joy of being an ‘activist. You can say what is wrong, without having to say (or do) what will make it right. Having said that, at least I have had my say. Getting the ‘facts’ out into the open, and discussing them, will at least lead to an understanding of the problem. And only if we understand the problem, can we come up with a ‘correct’ (or best) solutions in power through rigging and violence many Zimbabweans will just run off.

I am well satisfied.

Now, having said that, let the politician take over. I really mean I am satisfied with things so far. They are all as predicted. And I should not really be satisfied, because I lost. Not just lost, but LOST.

First point, all signs lead to a MASSIVE Zanu PF loss. Lost MPs include

Chinamasa (Minister of ‘justice’), Chombo (Minister of home affairs, the one who illegally fired us Councillors), Elliot Manyika (the Zanu PF Political Commissar, the biggest thug, the chief, ‘enforcer’, who it seems cannot enforce his own backyard), and Zanu PF lost in Zvimba, home of our beloved President. (If our beloved President’s party cannot win in his backyard!)

I went out and looked at the results for Ward 7, then went shopping. Got most of everything I need, even money from the bank! Shops were full, people looked pleased, and since the result was on everyone’s lips, perhaps that is what they were pleased about.

However, what we hear, and what will be announced may well be two separate things, but then things may start. Or, if the word is strong enough, other things may not start. Or be tried.

As for my results (Ward 7):

• Laban (Independent) – 293
• Pamhare (Zpf) – 1192
• Chiwola (MDC M) – 339
• Kapare (MDC T) – 2036

National results (the vote for President, Senator and MP) were about the same, by party and numbers, for Ward 7. Which means Ward 7 voted for an MDC Tsvangirai President, MP and Senator. And Masiya Kapare for city councillor.

Now, I have no trouble with Masiya (although of course I wanted to win). To me, shows exactly what I (and he agreed with me) predicted. That the people will vote for a party.

However, back to Masiya. He was councillor for Ward 5 back when I was your councillor. We were all MDC then. And Wards 5, 6 and 7 then made up Harare Central, so we worked together then. He is a member of CHRA – and I guess I do not have to resign as Chairman of CHRA Ward 7 branch. So the channels of communication are there.

I think we have some new stuff coming. Change has happened. What it will change to depends on us and how we will do it. We must talk and do what is right.

Election day in Zimbabwe. Woke up to reports on the BBC of long queues. Got dressed, walked down to Avondale School. The queue there about 100 people long at most. And three polling stations around the school. I voted (for myself!) and got a funny red/maroon ink colour on my left little finger. Four ballot papers, four ballot boxes, all as predicted.

Down to the ‘Command Centre’ at Mount Pleasant School and got a tag that says I am a Council Candidate. Then to all the stations, from 0930 to 1200. All six in order, and almost all have more than one polling station at each! Never a queue more than 50 people long. The queue at the ATM in Newlands is longer. There was no queue at Alex Park School. All seems to be going very well. Again, as predicted. They are all ready to count at the polling stations too; the tent in Strathaven was just waiting for diesel for its generator so they can have lights by tonight.

A wee rest, and then back out there.

Campaigning has been interesting. Everyone now seems to be happy to say to me, “Mugabe must go,” which last elections everyone felt, but no one dared to say. Everyone however, wants ‘something’ for their vote. Tshirt, loaf of bread, beer. This worries me. Zimbabweans are going to hand over the running of their city and country to ‘someone’ for the next five years, and they will give it to you for $12million (a loaf of bread). No wonder the country is in chaos. No one seems to pay attention, or care, to who is running their affairs.

On the other hand, support is huge, and varied. Thursday, walking back from the shops (not even campaigning), someone unknown to me shouts from across the street, “Hi”, then “Don’t ever give up”.

From everything I have seen (all the way to Nyanga and back), the MDC (Tsvangirai) is massively popular. The Mugabe Zanu PF is massively unpopular. Zanu PF will steal the election again – they have to, they cannot go without a fight, so what is the opposition’s Plan B? I suspect they are going to sit down and discuss it again, as they did last time. So I am feeling a tad depressed. However, we play the part we can play. Which for you means, get out there and vote. Just by physically standing in a voting queue will mean that you have impact.

To me, it was obvious. Being an independent meant that I was independent. Not connected to anything, any one, any organization. Not a capital I Independent. Which might imply I was part of any Independent party. Any more than being a democrat makes me part of the Democratic Party (democrat meaning the rule of the people) or being a republican (wanting to live in a country not ruled by a king) makes me a part of the Republican Party.

So why, when I say I am an independent, do people ask me about Simba Makoni? I have not formed a party. He has not formed a party. He has not asked to join my ‘grouping’, nor has he asked me to join his. Now, I appreciate that he definitely has a grouping (of like oriented individuals, I guess we would describe them), but they are individuals; not bound by any document (like a constitution) or specific creed, manifesto, declaration, etc. And they have not claimed, nor have even attempted to claim, any ‘independent’ title.

Therefore I feel quite slighted when asked about him. When the world talks to him, do they ask him about me? Or Ward 7? After all, that is the whole focus, and reason, for being an independent. So that I can work freely (if I get elected!) for Ward 7, without any constraints for party, or grouping, whatsoever.

Second question is, why does the party (any party) want to ‘have’ councilors running Harare? Surely a Party will focus on national issues. (The economy I hope). Why should they ‘control’ any city? And what can they offer Harare, that is different from Bindura? Or Chinhoyi? Or Hwange? Surely what is needed for Harare is different from what is needed from Zvishavane? Or Mutare? So every Councilor’s priority should be to his (or her in many cases I hope) Ward within the city/district that it is.

The answer came to me in nomination court. I met several ex-Councilors, who are now running for Parliament or Senate. They were moving up. “Why must we stay in Council all our lives,” was said to me often. My answer is simple. “Because this is the community we are trying to serve.” And we should be trying to serve our community, not self interest. It should not be a stepping stone to National needs.

This then is the answer to the Party question. They want control. Power. It is, for a Party, a stepping stone to National power.

So how do you feel, when you vote for your Councilor, being used as a stepping stone. Vote for an individual, not a Party. Certainly not at this level.