Blogging the democratic revolution
Following is an article regarding the Elim Mission Massacre, one of the most infamous acts of bloodshed commited by Mugabe’s gang, but unknown to many of us in the west. Andrew sends this to me again, and I believe it helps put Mugabe’s current regime in context with the past in terms of his terror, and the west’s disillusionment with the actuality of the situation. On the night of June 23, 1978, Elim Mission in the Rhodesian Eastern Highlands was subjected to the worst massacre of missionaries yet experienced. Terry Blocksidge reported in the Sunday Mail (Salisbury): Eight British missionaries…
I’ve been talking to a 37 year old man named Andrew (last name withheld) over email, who was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and moved to the United States, joined the navy, and is now a citizen. He notes to me that while we in the blogosphere have talked a lot about the election there and what Mugabe does now, no historical context has been provided for his rule. With his permission, I’m posting Andrew’s email here about Mugabe coming to power. You know, Africa is a pretty simple place…really. But there is a great tendency for the West to…
The Sokwanele democracy blog in Zimbabwe has released its full report on how Mugabe’s Zanu-PF rigged the elections. Say it with me, “Fraud.”
How’s we miss this? Here’s a tremendously good news source for Zimbabwewatchers called ZWNEWS.com, one of the best I’ve seen. Hat Tip: Dave
The Christian Science Monitor has an editorial instructing us in what we already know: Zimbabwe is not Ukraine: Viktor Yushchenko, who suffered near-fatal dioxin poisoning in his campaign to unseat Ukraine’s corrupt and authoritarian president, had the support of masses of protesters. But those were healthy, well-fed masses. In Zimbabwe, half the country is on the verge of acute hunger, and the official HIV infection rate is 27 percent. Mr. Yushchenko also had the backing of key institutions. The judiciary ruled in favor of a new election, and Ukraine’s security forces refused to turn their guns on fellow citizens. Zimbabwe’s…
Even though their leadership failed to mobilize and call for protests, there are some brave souls in Zimbabwe’s youth who realize that fighting and dying for freedom is a more worthy cause for their lives than complacent slavery. Despite threats of death, a few hundred have taken to the streets to defy Mugabe’s fraudulent victory. JOHANNESBURG, April 4 – Hundreds of supporters of Zimbabwe’s political opposition marched in Harare today to protest what they called the fraudulent victory of President Robert G. Mugabe’s ruling party in Thursday’s parliamentary elections. There were conflicting reports on whether the police broke up the…
Finally the answer comes to the question we’ve all been waiting for: The opposition will not protest. HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 3 — Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday ruled out calling for mass demonstrations to protest what he said were fraudulent results from last week’s parliamentary elections. Instead, he said, his party would redouble efforts to recruit new members from beyond its urban strongholds. Tsvangirai said widespread discrepancies in announced vote totals made clear that the party of President Robert Mugabe, which controlled the nation’s electoral mechanisms, rigged the outcomes in the rural areas where they claimed most of…
Yesterday I wrote that Mugabe will not face any consequences if the opposition rebels and he decides to crack down — something he would inevitably do if that happens. While western election observers were kept out amid certain criticism of the election, as we have seen a lot from America and the European Union despite this, those monitoring the elections were all from regional countries: Libya, Zambia, South Africa, etc. Being that South Africa is a democratic nation and a major regional power, one would assume that they would exert some pressure over Mugabe. Not so. In fact, they are…
The hours are counting down to the final decision of the opposition in Zimbabwe, one of the “last Outposts of Tyranny” on this earth. Word on the street is that if the order is given, they will protest. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said the party would not pursue legal challenges for the seats it believes were stolen. Instead, he said, “the people of Zimbabwe must defend their vote,” stronger language than he used after 2000 and 2002 elections, which were characterized by massive fraud. But he denied he was calling for people to take…
Well the results are in and they’ve been plenty doctored. Here’s the overview, with the opposition promising something unspecified to happen. Harare ???????? President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party has secured a majority in parliament, according to results announced Friday in an election the opposition says was marred by fraud. Thursday’s vote was seen as a test of the legitimacy of Mr. Mugabe’s increasingly autocratic regime after 25 years in power. Mr. Mugabe, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, is the last on the continent who has ruled his country since independence from the colonial powers. Mr. Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic…
The broad picture from many news sources is that Zimbabwe’s voters braved long lines and an unbelievably creative menu of efforts to disenfranchise them – from chicanery to fraud to bribes to murder – and held the line. Returns are showing Mugabe claiming victory, as forecast, and the opposition crying fraud. How they deal with this fraud is the coming question. I have this news roundup organized beginning with a backgrounder or The Stage for action; the the Timeline of events; the Foreign Response; and the observed irregularities: Intimidation, Disenfranchisement and Electoral Fraud. Here is a summary of the news…
…Only after the police tear gassed the protestors. Kampala – Ugandan police used water cannons and tear gas to break up an opposition demonstration on Thursday, engaging in running battles with marchers protesting efforts to extend the president’s tenure. Riot police dispersed the protesters, who were denouncing plans to amend the constitution so that President Yoweri Museveni can run for a third term in office. Police spokesperson Asuman Mugenyi said the demonstration had not been authorised. “They knew that we had stopped it, but they continued inciting people to come and participate in violence and in an illegal assembly,” he…
I’m going to start this off by putting this article in the reverse way that it was written. International human rights organizations and such other groups as the European Union, which on Wednesday called the election “phony,” say the outcome is unlikely to reflect the will of most Zimbabweans. Mugabe controls every daily newspaper, all broadcasting, thousands of patronage jobs, the electoral commission, the courts that would judge accusations of rigging and the dwindling food reserves for a populace on the brink of starvation. Most international election observers have been kept away. And Mugabe increased the budget of his secret…
Norm Geras has it, and he has been following this one for awhile now. Check it out!
Before I start, I want to say what a hell Zimbabwe is, and it is all Mugabe’s fault. I have quite a few friends from South Africa, one of which was born and raised in Zimbabwe. There’s a reason he doesn’t live there anymore. And it seems like the people still there are sick of it. There are several stories about this, but I liked this article the best as it highlights in particular the massive electoral fraud. CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) — Zimbabweans will be “dancing in the streets” when President Robert Mugabe is gone, a Zimbabwean archbishop…
Every revolution is the same quest for the freedom and democracy engraved on every human heart. But each one is unique, too, with different resistance tactics tailored to existing conditions with local ingenuity. In Zimbabwe, people are up against an unusually vile tyrant, one who uses food as a weapon, Robert Mugabe. Since this thug shoots demonstrators, Zimbabweans are actively, if furtively conducting wallpaper-pasted flyer raids around public places, and dumping piles of freebie condoms with the struggle’s name on it. It’s hit-and-run guerrilla stuff to get the word out – in vast quantity. In addition, there is an “election”…
That from the report released from allAfrica.com within the last few hours. The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should be commended for imposing punitive sanctions against Togo and forcing the illegal president to come to his senses and heed international calls for a return to democracy and the rule of law. The stepping down of Eyadema should be a warning and a lesson to other potential despots that the African continent has no time for them. As posted this morning, the media too is waking from it’s slumber. afrol reports seven private radio…
After a military coup toppled the government last month, it seems as if the U.S. has pulled through on threats to withdraw all aid from Togo. Oxblog has the story.
Hugo Chavez hurled his uncouth insults at US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Now Mugabe of Zimbabwe’s getting in on the act. There must be something about a successful Black woman that arouses their Inner Barbarian because they’re both coming out of the woodwork like roaches and getting counted.
I recently watched a news broadcast on Al-Jazeera of the Sudanese parliament’s unanimous ratification of the peace agreement between the government and the Sudan’s Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA), headed by John Garang. This is certainly good news. Millions have died in this on-again, off-again conflict over the past four decades, and perhaps it really is coming to an end. (See also my previous post on the Sudan, Peace in the Sudan? Does the Arab World Care?) At the same time, a representative of the government, speaking in parliament, launched a scathing attack on the United Nations and on the United…
A few days ago the now late President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo died. Most disturbingly, his son was given immediate successorship to his father, despite violating their constitution. The UN told them not to do that, so what happened in response? They hastily changed the constitution. Opposition leaders and The African Union are calling this a “coup.” I would tend to agree, especially after this new piece of news: Togo has banned public rallies after decreeing two months of national mourning for President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who died on Saturday. The opposition has called for a two-day strike to protest at…