A Kubatana subscriber confronts the constitutional referendum with confidence:

The day began with gathering about ten people in my hood. I stay in Maridale, Norton. I asked who had seen or read the draft. A friend said he was given a Ndebele version at work. He is a serving military man. And he cant even say ‘ca’. I asked how each one was going to vote. ‘Yes’ because that’s what the government is saying, came the reply. Yes, we all want a new constitution, but how can I vote blindly with the crowd I asked? So in the end we decided to protest. We voted ‘no’. In defeat we were proud.

We have always known that some of these ridiculously pro-Zanu PF newspapers carry “letters to the Editor” written by their own staffers, yet this brazen conduct always manages to jolt us each time we come across such writing.

“A reader” was at it again this week in the Chronicle (19 March 2013) trashing Morgan Tsvangirai and Kenya’s Raila Odinga, declaring that the two “must never be allowed to rule.” I wondered what anarchist would promote such dangerous rhetoric, if not emanating from the Zimpapers scribes  themselves who we know have never shied away from treating Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister with such disrespect he is considered no different from the ordinary Jack.

“Bravo Cde Uhuru Kenyatta,” the “letter writer” wrote, obviously wishing they could shake Uhuru’s hand.

You have to ask yourself if these people actually believe their own nonsense where state media hacks cloak their identities and assume aliases as “Avid readers.”

On another note, I always say that state media journalists obviously do not read what they write and their handlers are certainly not as sharp as they always seek to present themselves.

An editorial in the Chronicle on Monday this week headed “Chinese leadership transition laudable” praised the “new crop of leaders of Chinese Communist Party”, hailing it as a sure sign of “China’s brand of democracy” at work.

The message was loud enough for any discerning reader: if the Chinese could have such a smooth transfer of power, why not Zanu PF!

Well, that was dismal. Almost as exciting as the election of the new Pope! There were more people administering the referendum than people to vote in it. What this most says to me – the people think the politicians (and politics) are irrelevant.

Legislation. What is it for? There was new legislation recently about some new sticker on the back of pick-ups. Where did that come from? Do the police know or understand it, or is it an excuse to solicit bribes at roadblocks?

In a previous blog, I wrote about spending time stopped on Chiremba Road. I never did find out what, if any, ‘offense’ I had committed, under any legislation.

There is new legislation on fuel costs. Who will enforce this?

I read an article in the Mail and Guardian some weeks back, about 450 vehicles (new/ secondhand/used Japanese imports) a day crossing the border. None of it legal. None of it having duty paid for. And the local car industry was collapsing. This is SERIOUS lack of law enforcement, with SERIOUS consequences for Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwean jobs. Not to mention unsafe vehicles all over the roads, killing people.

There is no rule of law in Zimbabwe. So why must we go out there to dip our fingers in ink to agree, or disagree with a new law? (That is all a constitution is. Basic law.) And who did vote? At another meeting today, one guy there, was the only one of 8 in his office that voted. That is a 12 1/2 percent turnout.

But it all stems from our leaders. They have shown us this is the way it is to be done.

In my case, the Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede, should be in jail. He was handed a court order in 2002 ordering him, within seven days, to announce the results of my election. He has never done so. He is in contempt of court. The law says, if you fail to comply with a court order, you will go to jail until you do. It has never been done. Mudede should have been in jail for the last ten years. Yet he is running a senior government office. Taking pay.

Where is the law in Zimbabwe?

The head of the ZNA (treasonous fellow), declares who he will salute, and who he will not salute. As if the army belonged to him, and not the people of Zimbabwe! He will salute who he feels like, and not who the people of Zimbabwe tell him to salute. However, instead of the law taking its course (for treason you get hanged by the neck until dead), this man is still head of Zimbabwe’s Army.

Where is the law in Zimbabwe?

We live in medieval China of the warlords. The Wild West. Harry Potter world, in the last book, where the ministry has collapsed. This is fantasy. Legislature has been made irrelevant, just as the justice system has been made irrelevant. Only power exists.

So why should we get out and vote for something irrelevant?

Standing in the referendum queue was a jab  and casting my  “yes” a hook. And queuing in the Elections will be a ferocious uppercut to all who underestimate my power to effect change.

I live in Hwedza South. On Referendum Day people were quite eager to cast their votes. Admittedly most did not read nor did they even see the document but the better devil to choose was to move away from the old constitution. On the side lines of polling places most were saying they cast a YES vote. Most people are however expressing great concern at why the names & ID Nos are taken down before one can be allowed to cast as this could easily be cross – checked should the need to victimise arise.

Most people do not know 99% of the draft constitution: only land and gay was talked about to the people especially in Zvimba.

I went to vote yesterday. Early to avoid the crowds! I got ink on my left pinkie finger, all the way up to the second joint. Seems they have a lot of ink, and don’t expect many people to come to put it on. I bet they were right.

There was no trouble voting. Metal ID (which says citizen of course), they wrote my name, next desk gave me a voting slip, next desk inked my finger (the only desk with only one person on it), I went to the booth and marked my paper (my vote is secret), went to the ballot box, showed the next desk the folded slip with the stamp on it and put it in the box.

Before lunch, I went to my afternoon engagement. Spotted several polling stations along the way. One had six people waiting, another had 20 people. I am guessing the station I voted in might get 1000 voters. There are three polling stations in my ward, and 18 000 voters. If each station gets 1000, that is 3000 voting out of the 18000. That is a 16 percent turnout, by very rough guess, and nothing scientific about it.

No one came for a nothing document.

Some queues were short and some were very long and tiring because of the heat. Though in some areas reports of voter apathy marred the Saturday referendum. Where I voted it was peaceful and I only spent a couple of minutes before I left the polling station. At times like these usually you would find people walking in pairs or groups to cast their votes. Maybe there is comfort in numbers or it’s just the fear of being left out in a national event like this, as people will be flashing the pink finger with pride to anyone who cares to see. As everyone was looking forward to going to the polling stations I felt sorry for my fellow citizens who were born here but are still regarded as Aliens. My father helped me to fight that battle some years back before the rejected 2000 referendum polls and that is the reason why I was showing the finger to whoever. This was my second time taking part in a referendum and I got worried when I had to show the back of my folded ballot paper to the polling agents so that they see the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission stamp. My vote is supposed to be a secret but when the ballot paper is so transparent to an extent of revealing where I had put my X I get worried about what it means to whoever sees it. So the after poll chat is always about when the results will come out. Instead of worrying about the implications of the pink finger of the just ended referendum maybe the real worry is now on upcoming presidential polls and if the pink finger will be visible to anyone to see. I hope when that time comes, this constitution we just voted for would have passed, and Aliens will be citizens and pink fingers will be shown without fear.