The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) addresses some of the key challenges of mobile voter registration.

In summery the major issues affecting residents in registering as voters include but are not limited to:

- Confusion surrounding the issuance of a proof of residence for one to register as a voter
- R.G’s request for affidavits as extra confirmation of proof of residence
- The call by the Chairperson of Z.E.C that without a proof of residence one can still register. It seems as if the message has not been officially cascaded down to the workers at the R.G’s office
- Alien voter registration. The process still remains rigorous and many are turning away
- Slow service which only accommodates a very few people to register as voters in a day
- Some mobile centres are not operating within the stipulated 7am-7pm time frame as vetoed by the R.G.
- Limited voter registration centres simply makes it difficult and unnecessarily cumbersome for one to register.  There is need for the provision of more centres to decongest the very few that have been allocated

The Association urges the ZEC to consider the issues in this statement and ensure that more residents are afforded an opportunity to register and vote in the oncoming elections. CHRA will continue to monitor this process and encourages residents to come out in their numbers to register and vote.

We read a recent article by Ian Scoones about how the tide is turning in Zimbabwe; the political context in Zimbabwe remains highly uncertain, but there are unexpected shifts – partly as a result of the relative success of the “unity” government, and partly as a result of failures in the opposition, both to offer a convincing alternative and to develop a clear set of alliances.

What is wrong with Ian Scoones? Or is he just fucking stupid? The “unity” government is that of the Prime Minister, Morgan Tasvangira and his MDC, the president, Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF, and a deputy whatever Mutambara/Ncube and their MDC. If they are ‘relatively successful, who then is the ‘opposition’ to have failures within? Secondly, what does he mean by opposition? MDC T has the most seats in parliament. It is therefore the ruling party. Zanu PF has the second most, therefore is the lead opposition. MDC M/N has the fewest, therefore is the second opposition. Is he trying to say/imply that parliamentary majority is an irrelevance, compared to pure power (even illegitimate)? Or is he just a stupid, non-scholar, who uses words as he sees fit without any regard to reality.

The Women’s Trust in 2007-2008 ran the Women Can Do It! Campaign, which saw many women contesting Parliamentary seats. The campaign, which ran smoothly and was synonymous with the song, ‘Ndi mai vanogona’ spread to all corners of the country. On the 2nd of May, The Women’s Trust launched the SiMuka Zimbabwe Campaign that encourages women to take part in elections with three main objectives. The campaign wants women to register to vote, to vote and to vote for other women. The campaign’s promotional materials include four different coloured t-shirts, which convey various messages in three languages Shona, Ndebele and English to accommodate every Zimbabwean.

Simuka Zimbabwe is not only for the new voter but for women who have voted during the past elections too. To these women, the campaign encourages them to check that their names still exist in the voters roll. The Director, Memory Kachambwa during the launch clearly pointed out that the campaign has various strategies to target the different women in the country. It is with interest to note that Simuka Zimbabwe is of a dynamic and broad spectrum as it not only encourages voter participation but goes a step further to give a wake call to men and women of Zimbabwe to get up, wake and rise ‘n’ shine.

A booklet is available that empowers women to make better informed decision when voting. The words of founder and Board Secretary Luta Shaba sum up all what Simuka Zimbabwe seeks to achieve, “If you have seen what you want then go and shop for your leader.” The Women’s Trust through their campaign continue to try and develop a critical mass of women who can articulate issues and effect changes.

It’s become all too predictable that each time Zimbabwe approaches an election, arrests of anyone from reporters to politicians to drunks hits the stratosphere, and this year is coming as no surprise.

But there is a disturbingly comical element to it that you have to ask why the cops apparently always sleep on their jobs seeing that some of these “crimes” border on the ridiculous.

For example, we have Tongai Matutu, the MDC-T legislator for Masvingo Central who faces incarceration for allegedly calling Mugabe a dog some eight years ago. Eight years ago? Surely something must be wrong with this picture.

The Ndebele say “icala kaliboli” literally meaning a crime does not rot as comeuppance will be visited on the offender when they have long forgotten about it.

But then, one has to ask why it would take eight long years for the “wheels of justice” to catch up with Matutu if it is not some arcane and nefarious motive in a country already known to punish people who laugh at the presidential portrait?

This is a country where defenders of the Republic readily beat their chests proclaiming a strict observance and adherence to the rule of law, but it’s a cruel contradiction then that for a country that claims to scrupulously uphold the rule of law, the same justice has been very slow in being applied, effectively denying citizens their right to expeditious legal processes! After all, is it not a well-worn aphorism that “justice delayed is justice denied?”

Early in the year, we had Douglas Mwonzora being arrested for having called Mugabe a goblin back in the excitement of 2008.

Mwonzora has also previously faced arrest where he is alleged to have defrauded someone of ZW350million in 2005!

Law abiding and “fair minded” citizens seeking protection from the Attorney General’s office would no doubt ask why these things are happening now and question the competence of that respected office.

Some would proffer that perhaps someone has been sleeping on the job, but that would be incorrigible naivety as we already know it goes beyond the oft claimed backlog of court cases made worse by shortage of magistrates!

Then there is also Chimanimani West MP Lynette Karenyi who was convicted for “holding an unsanctioned meeting” last year. Last year really?

One could go on and on with this, but it does point to the futility of engaging the Cheka in any political jousting and as long as this continues it makes one shudder to think what crimes, real or imagined, will be “excavated” from the vaults to “let them have it” as the elections loom large!

Simukai Tinhu has published an article on why Zimbabwean voters are deserting Morgan Tsvangirai. Some good points are raised including the fact that its about time that the MDC, as a party, put forward a new candidate to lead them into the future. Tendai Biti please step forward. More

The demise of authoritarianism in Zimbabwe will surely come. But there is little reason to think that the day is near, and even less to think that the opposition MDC is the party that will torpedo the current dictatorship. Today the party is more dysfunctional and commands less authority and support than ever before, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise when it loses, even in a free and fair election.

After fighting so hard to move into his new residence in the plushy suburbs of Harare, Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was reported to be securing his future by offering to buy the house from the government at a whopping price tag of 4.5 million US Dollars. The Prime Minister’s office quickly rubbished the report claiming that the PM has the right to buy the house but is yet to do that because he does not have the money.

But looking at both ways he can still make an offer and buy the house and most likely the price range is in the millions considering it was renovated with a loan of over 1.5 million dollars. This is a house which has been at the center of controversy with allegations of corruption in the loan allocation and which Mai Tsvangirai worked so hard to decorate with a kitchen suite reported to be worth over 40 000 US$. Taking it from the gospel of prosperity being preached in many churches these days some may say that as the Prime Minister he deserves to be associated with everything that glitters. From Hollywood style marriage celebrations to living in mansions. Who knows soon he will be having a chopper for his campaign in the next harmonized elections. The offer to buy the house comes at the time when legislators have also filed golden handshake demands in the form of stands, cars and cash as exit packages.  Whether the mansion will be the new state house or a retirement home for the Prime Minister it remains to be seen. It is up to the electorate to approve demands of such a tasty lifestyle.