Against brute force and injustice the people will have the last word.
That of victory.
- Che Guevara

Zimbabwe state broadcasting says that the government is still collecting presidential ballots from across the country. Yeah right, pull the other one. I know we do things slowly in Zimbabwe but this is ridiculous. Never mind water torture, try listening to Zimbabwe state radio and television day in and day out whilst waiting for the drip feed election results. The national broadcaster has been filling their programming time with a mixture of local dramas which feature a lot of wailing, and aged documentaries on subjects like the manufacturing of artificial limbs and the rescue of wayward dolphins. Meanwhile someone suggested the delay is really because its takes an awful long time to pack up a mansion that has too many rooms to count.

Harare central feels quite relaxed with an air of expectancy. On my way to the bank someone smiled and called out to me, A New Zimbabwe! I guess most of us here on the ground are thinking we’ll believe it when we see it. More than ever I get the sense that Zimbabweans are willing to take Mugabe on, unwilling this time to be taken for a ride by Robert.

At the moment I hear that the MDC is holding a another press conference claiming victory, this time backed up with their parallel vote tabulation figures. So now we wait a little longer to see what the regime’s reaction will be to this public statement. And if the MDC manage to get this information out to Zimbabweans on the street, what groundswell it will create.

Once more sharing Comrade Fatso’s down to earth views on Zimbabwe and our efforts to bring political change. Please visit Comrade Fatso’s blog to stay in direct touch with Harare’s leading activist poet.

Rumour rhymes with ‘ruma’, Shona for bite. Harare has literally been bitten by rumours. Our city is famed for many things but one thing specifically. The ability to turn no news into headlines. The skill of spinning no knowledge into street wisdom. The hustle of selling unconfirmed stories on a hungry parallel market. Our only non-state daily newspaper was bombed so the people’s paper is the people’s stories, nyayas that circulate like a whisper at a bottle store. Mugabe has fled to Malaysia. Morgan has 68% of the presidential vote. Mujuru has lost her seat. Morgan’s win is being broadcast live on TV. A people starved of truth begin to manufacture their own. So truths roam Harare like street kids, tapping your window at every robot. Like an undelivered text message notification ringing on your phone. Constantly.

But just minutes ago some rumours may have become reality. Our hopes may be backed up by facts. When Morgan held his press conference at the Meikles Hotel he told us that after years of struggle we have a new challenge – that of governance. The need to start to restructure and stabilize our country. MDC believe they have clinched victory. Morgan has never appeared so joyous. Once again the rumours begin to bite. MDC is said to be in talks with the armed forces and ZANU about negotiating a hand over of power. Morgan denies the rumours. So, many things are in the air. Hope and rumours. And once again the joy and the certainty of the press conference need to get out into the townships. The people need to taste the joy of a dream becoming reality. They need to be ready to defend their victorious dreams. Otherwise tomorrow will just be another day of spoken headlines and hustled truths.

Rumours are swirling, and it’s now 3 and a half days – 84 hours – since polls closed in Zimbabwe’s 29 March Harmonised Election, and the result is still very much up in the air. Only House of Assembly seats have been announced, and the current tally is Zanu PF 85, MDC (Tsvangirai) 85, MDC (Mutambara) 5, with 34 left to go (never mind the Senate and Presidential results).

As announcements by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission have been trickling out, we’ve been forwarding them to our SMS subscribers, many of whom do not have access to television or radio, or who are hit by Zimbabwe’s persistent electricity shortage.

Here are some replies from Zimbabweans across the country as we all wait and hope:

Why are the election results taking forever to be announced? We hope they don’t want to employ some dirty tricks. The people of Zimbabwe wont accept any such rubbish. Enough is enough. the people have spoken and their word should be honoured.

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I was a polling officer in Harare Province. Massive rigging can actually take place through those postal ballots. All the votes were for ZANU PF. There were no names for us to cross out in the voters roll in case the voters would have voted already. Many ballot papers could not be accounted for.

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But why the silence and the delaying tactics. Lets hope they are not going 2 steal the election again.

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Very much interested in hearing results 4 U.M.P & Rushinga who normally betray us during times like this. Tables are being turned down. The people have spoken out their minds. This is the true reflection of the Zimbabwean spirit for years.

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We’ve hung on long enough… tine mapepa edu hatishaye zvekundoita kunze uko!

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Nobody is going to manipulate the result try as they may. We will be going for a run-off between Tsvangirai and Makoni. our democracy demands that!

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It is time for MDC came out with proof of their results eg photos etc – give out facts not accusations.

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Hope is what is needed at this time they can delay but not deny the wish of the people.

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What criteria are they using kuti paite madraw. If they are busy rigging tell them that I’m prepared to die 4 this country!

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We r peace loving but we wont hesitate 2 fight 4 change this time around. We will take 2 the streets to redeem our votes! Why are the results being released piecemeal. And why is it each batch shows the parties tied. The coincidence is strange. This shows a carefully managed (read rigged) results. The CIO’s hand is evident in this.

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The people’s patience is being tested. Hope the losers are not too desperate to retain power.

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Zanu pf is doing what is called psychological management of the electorate.

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We need change 4 the future of our Zimbabwe. We need jobs & economic opportunities.

We sent out a Kubatana email newsletter today to our large mailing list and we included a quote from Helen Keller that talked about the need for us to remember that its the actions of the “honest workers” that are just as heroic as those of our political leaders. I was reminded of Helen Keller’s quotation this evening. As the sun was setting we were still in the office when we were visited by two women, one of whom had recently suffered a miscarriage and lost a baby girl. But there she was bringing cold cokes, chips, biscuits and chocolates because she thought we could do with a treat to ease the hard work of election time. Thoughtful, kind and willing to reach out – needless to say we at Kubatana were inspired!

Tonight as I get frustrated messages from people wondering what exactly is going on I’m also reminded of how often citizens are the last to know anything whilst politicians make deals deciding our fate – for better or worse.

With 160 House of Assembly seats announced – and 50 to go, Zimbabwe’s election results are looking like this:

• Zanu PF – 78
• MDC (Tsvangirai) – 77
• MDC (Mutambara) – 5

This means both Zanu PF and the MDC (Tsvangirai) have more than one third of the seats in the House – enough to block one another from fast tracking any Constitutional amendment. BBC, CNN, and the New York Times all suggest increasingly confirmed reports that some kind of negotiated transition, exit package, or deal is in the works. But no matter what happens tonight or as this week unfolds, blocking one another’s 2/3 majority may prove important down the line.