Zimbabwe Holds Its Breath Over Election ResultsBy

Ephraim Nsingo

Mar 31 (IPS) - With more than a day having passed since polling stations for Zimbabwe's general elections closed their doors, complete official results for the ballot have yet to be released.Those which have been issued show the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) having won the same number of House of Assembly seats as its principal challenger, the main faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC): 19.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was an early casualty of the Mar. 29 polls, which saw the presidency, lower house of parliament, Senate and local government seats contested. This was the first time all four of these elections had been held on the same day. Delays in starting the announcement of results and the slow pace at which these are being issued have raised further concerns about vote rigging in the Southern African country.

While the outcome of previous ballots was made known within hours of voting coming to an end, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) only started issuing results for the latest polls Monday morning. In an announcement on state television Sunday evening about the time when the outcome would be made known, ZEC Chairman George Chiweshe said there was nothing untoward about unveiling the results on Monday: "In other countries, it takes longer than that -- at times up to one week. There is nothing peculiar about this election in Zimbabwe; the commission is a professional and constitutional body."

However, Chiweshe's words were likely to have been dismissed by opposition members and activists, who have persistently accused the commission of being biased towards President Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF. "Some rigging is going on somewhere, so they delay the announcement to perfect it," said Lovemore Madhuku, chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly, a civic body that lobbies for constitutional reform in Zimbabwe.

In an earlier sign of scepticism about the ZEC, the main faction of the MDC announced that it was on track to win the elections, based on results already displayed at about a third of polling stations; the party claimed it was leading with 67 percent of votes.

Later, the group claimed a lead of 60 percent of the presidential vote against 30 percent for Mugabe, and to have captured 96 of the House of Assembly seats (there are 210 seats in all) -- this based on results made known at polling stations for 128 of the seats. Candidates are also contesting 59 Senate seats. A 60th senatorial spot has already been won by a ZANU-PF candidate who was elected unopposed at the nomination court, while a further 21 places will be occupied in part with presidential nominees. Some 2,000 local government posts need to be filled.

State security forces had banned pre-empting the ZEC on the outcome of the elections. But, the larger MDC faction -- led by Morgan Tsvangirai -- argued that the results cited were already in the public domain, and that its announcement was to guard against votes being tampered with at a national command centre where results are finalised. The faction has reportedly claimed gains even in the provinces of Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Masvingo -- seen as Mugabe strongholds.

"For us farm workers, this marks the end of tyranny. We have suffered a lot," said a labourer who works at Cornucopia Farm Orchard, a property in Mashonaland West appropriated by Deputy Youth Development and Employment Creation Minister Saviour Kasukuwere under Zimbabwe's controversial land redistribution policy. "Since this man took over the farm, our lives have been a nightmare. He does not pay on time, but he now makes us work far more than we used to. Saviour is fortunate he did not contest here, otherwise we would punish him heavily for his sins."

Starting in 2000, government oversaw the seizure of farms owned by minority whites. Supposedly for resettlement of landless blacks, the initiative has seen a number of properties taken over by high-ranking officials. It is also considered a key factor in the economic collapse of Zimbabwe, which now battles inflation of about 100,000 percent, unemployment of up to 80 percent, and widespread shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency. Once efficient social services in the Southern African nation are crumbling.

"There are certain areas which had been declared permanent ZANU-PF strongholds, and to have the opposition sweeping through in those areas is enough evidence that -- without rigging -- the ruling party will emerge empty handed," said political analyst John Makumbe.

However, fears of rigging are widespread. In the run-up to Saturday's vote, the opposition, along with various rights groups and think-tanks, highlighted an array of factors that have blighted the polls, ranging from intimidation of the opposition, bias in the state-controlled media and a shaky voters' roll to manipulation of food aid and the exclusion of election observers from countries critical of Zimbabwe.

Mugabe and the ruling party stand accused of using similar tactics to rig parliamentary elections in 2000 and 2005, and a presidential poll in 2002. Still, the extent of economic and social hardship that now afflicts Zimbabwe leads some to believe that the 2008 poll will defy the odds. There is "no way ZANU-PF heavyweights could expect to win this election under the current circumstances, for which they are responsible," said Gorden Moyo, an analyst and civic activist based in Bulawayo, the country's second largest city. "In the past, it was easy for them to manipulate voters because the situation was not as bad as it is now. The economy at the moment is the biggest opposition to ZANU-PF and there is no way they could have expected to win. People are disgruntled with the current government's failures."

Almost six million people were registered to take part in the vote, which was largely peaceful.

Mugabe, in power since independence and seeking a sixth term in office, faced three challengers -- notably Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni: a former finance minister and ZANU-PF member who was expelled from the party after he broke ranks to contest the presidency.

If none of the presidential candidates wins more than 50 percent of the vote, then a run-off will have to be held within three weeks. Parliamentary and local government polls attracted 17 parties -- the most prominent being ZANU-PF and MDC-Tsvangirai -- and 116 independent candidates, mostly under the banner of Makoni's Mavambo/Kusile group. ("Mavambo" is a Shona word that means "beginning"; "kusile" is Ndebele for "dawn".)

The wait for results has prompted comparisons between Zimbabwe and Kenya, where head of state Mwai Kibaki's disputed win in the Dec. 27 presidential election came after a delay in the announcement of results. Over a thousand people died and many more were displaced in clashes sparked by the opposition's refusal to accept these results. MDC-Tsvangirai has indicated that it too will not accept the outcome of a poll seen as rigged; security officials, for their part, have warned against a repeat of Kenya's violence in Zimbabwe. IPS found larger businesses in Harare to be operating normally Monday, with the usual queues outside banks.

However, smaller retailers were closed and riot police were said to have been deployed in the capital: telling signs of the tensions in the country as it waits to see whether Mugabe's uninterrupted rule may finally be brought to an end.

The election in quotes "We do not rig elections. We have that sense of honesty. I cannot sleep with my conscience if I have cheated on elections." - President Robert Mugabe

"All along, these people have been using us and taking us for granted, but now we know their dirty tricks and we will not allow them to use us as their political condoms. Immediately after winning elections, they would dump us and only think of us when there is another election. We are happy all of us have finally realised this dirty game." - Mathew Chideu, a voter in Bindura -- capital of Mashonaland Central Province -- in reference to ZANU-PF.

I voted for Tsvangirai. The old man has been in power too long and the country is going to waste. I want change, but I don't trust Simba Makoni because he used to be of ZANU-PF." Tendai, a gardener who voted in Harare.

"My man is Makoni. Him coming into the race was a wake up call. That he is ZANU-PF doesn't make him a bad guy. He has new and fresh ideas. Tsvangirai didn't deliver last time…I doubt if these elections will be free and fair, but it is the best chance we will get for change." Leslie Makawa Tongai, a 24-year-old musician who voted in Harare.

"I am looking for a truck to move from State House. Do you know anybody with a truck? Mugabe." A mobile phone text message doing the rounds in Zimbabwe. -IPS News, 31 March 2008

ZEC admits voters' roll 'in shambles'

By Vusumuzi Sifile

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Friday told journalists and observer teams the voters’ roll used in yesterday’s elections was “in shambles”, confirming claims by the opposition that the roll was “a mess”.

ZEC chairperson Justice George Chiweshe said although the roll was “not perfect”, he still believed it was “among the most credible” worldwide.“Throughout the world, voters’ rolls are never perfect,” he said. “Ours is not perfect either, but I can assure you it is one of the most credible . . . this voters’ roll which, mind you, is in shambles. I maintain it still is very credible, although it is not perfect,” said Chiweshe, a former military judge.

Last week, officials from the two MDC factions and independent candidate Simba Makoni’s group said they had unearthed more than 8 000 ghost voters who were said to be “ordinarily resident” at Glen Hat, an area near Hatcliffe extension in Harare North.Chiweshe said the ZEC was not in charge of the voters’ roll, which falls under the Registrar-General’s Office.The R-G, Tobaiwa Mudede, denied there were “ghost” voters.

“The question of ghosts coming to vote is always mentioned, but we have not seen one ghost coming to vote.”Chiweshe said the roll was in shambles mostly because they had not been officially notified of the deaths of certain people whose names still appear on the roll, many years after their death. In the run up to the election, opposition candidates produced a number of names of long deceased people still on the roll including former Minister of Law and Order, Desmond Lardner-Burke (1908-81). “Unless we receive official confirmation we will not presume that a person is dead. Deaths occur daily, and we will never catch up with them,” Chiweshe said.

As Zimbabweans wait for the outcome of the polls, the ZEC official responsible for polling, Ignatius Mushangwe, said preliminary results would be displayed at polling stations, but the official results would only be announced at the national collation centre.But the commission said it would not airlift any ballot boxes to Harare as previously alleged.

Two weeks ago, the Secretary for Elections in the Tsvangirai faction of the MDC, Ian Makone, said the roll was in “an awful mess”. At the time, ZEC did not respond to questions from The Standard on the allegations. Makone said the discrepancies could mean the delimitation report used to demarcate wards and constituencies “was based on false statistics”.

Observers uncover 8 500 ghost voters

By Vusumuzi Sifile, Bertha Shoko and Ndamu Sandu

AS Zimbabweans turned out to vote yesterday, one foreign observer mission reported unearthing thousands of ghost voters, particularly north of Harare.

Queues formed early, but many voters complained of not being allowed to cast their ballots.
Across the country, there were reports of voters not being allowed to cast ballots — either because their names were not on the voters’ roll or because they were trying to vote in the wrong ward.

There was a heavy turnout in the capital in the morning, but the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), was expected to be asked to explain the discovery of nearly 8 500 voters in Ward 42.

They were reportedly registered under one block in Harare North constituency.The Standard was told yesterday the observer mission had written to the ZEC about what they saw as a major anomaly.

Out of 24 678 (correct) registered voters, more than 8 450 have been registered under block 081083.

The block is situated at Hatcliffe, but it is a deserted area with a few wooden sheds scattered around.

There is no evidence of any voters living on the site.
The Standard understands the observer mission had discovered discrepancies after consulting the voters’ roll. For example, although the area is empty, voters were registered with addresses of unoccupied stands.

In addition, the mission is reported to have discovered that a number of the stands in the area were supposedly inhabited by “large family numbers” of voters, who according to their names are not related.

The Standard understands that Stand 10108, which measures 300m2 is listed as having more than 70 voters’ names, supposedly living there. The corresponding address does not appear detailed enough to allow for verification.

The observer mission, The Standard understands, has written to ZEC over the apparent irregularity in Harare North and the fact that the Commission “printed 50% more ballot papers than the number of registered voters”.

It was not immediately possible, at the time of going to print last night, to contact the ZEC to confirm receipt of the complaint from the observer mission.But that was not the only complaint to surface yesterday as polling got under way. Police officers reported a Sergeant Nyakabau from Mabvuku traffic section apparently went missing after he had gone to cast his ballot at Century House East, where the ZEC is housed.

Police officers said Nyakabau had been taken away in a police vehicle.Police sources said officers had initially been asked to cast their postal ballot on Thursday evening in front of their superiors.

Those who had objected were then asked to go and hand these at the ZEC head offices. They identified a superintendent, who they said was stationed on the seventh floor of the ZEC offices. They believed his brief was to intercept people who had voted “incorrectly” – a reference to anyone not voting for President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF.

Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzi said yesterday the report was misleading.“Why would he (the policeman) go to ZEC to cast his ballot; is there a polling station?” said Bvudzijena.
MDC secretary general Tendai Biti said some polling station ran out of ballot papers and ballot boxes went missing, raising suspicion of rigging.Biti said ballot papers were in short supply in Kariba, Makoni North and Rusape while a book of ballot papers could not be accounted for.“We have no doubt that this is deliberate to enable them to steal this election in favour of Mugabe,” Biti said.

Zesn said Zanu PF candidate for Emakhandeni-Entumbani’s home was bombed in early yesterday.

In another incident, there was an altercation between MDC (Mutambara) supporters and Zanu PF activists in which a passerby was killed.Zesn chairperson Noel Kututwa said the man was hit by an MDC vehicle allegedly shot at by Zanu PF supporters. There were intimidation incidents in Chegutu West constituency at Lowood Farm polling station where a Zanu PF polling agent was allegedly advising people on how to vote.

Similar reports were recorded in Mashonaland East. At one constituency 221 people waiting to vote in Kafura School 141 people, at Chitsungo 120 were waiting to vote, while at Sova in Pfungwe there were 92 people waiting to vote around mid-morning.

Officials said the people in the area spent the mornings on gold panning activities and were expected to come and vote later in the day.

At Nyanzou in Pfungwe, near Mazowe River Bridge there was a police officer assisting voters was openly instructing them to vote for Zanu PF. A team from the American Embassy also confirmed the report.

All the polling stations refused to give the number of people who had cast their votes. It is as if they had uniform instructions. They were refusing to talk.

However, at Morris School in Maramba constituency, the polling officer said 322 people had voted by 9.26AM. But at Murehwa centre people were being turned away. In Bulawayo, many people failed to vote after a number of polling stations opened late amid widespread confusion arising from the use of four separate ballot papers.In the poor suburb of Makokoba where a there is three-way tight contest involving MDC-Tsvangirai vice president, Thokozani Khuphe, Welshman Ncube who is the secretary of the rival MDC and Zimbabwe Defence Industries boss, Tshinga Dube of Zanu PF, scores of people waited patiently to cast their votes.

Bulawayo Agenda, a civic organisation with poll observers throughout Matabeleland, reported that at some polling stations the process was so slow agitated voters left before casting their ballots.

An average of 100 people had cast their votes in each of the polling stations across the city by 10 AM, polling officers said. The polling station at the City Hall was the busiest with long queues throughout the day.

In Victoria Falls, Bulawayo Agenda reported a few polling stations had run out of ballot papers by 10AM.

In Makoni South people “swarmed” the polling stations but ballot papers ran out in two wards. Pishai Muchauraya, the MDC candidate said this was a “dirty tactic” to deny people their democratic right.

In Masvingo, urban voters turned up in their hundreds but scores were turned away after the polling officers told them their names were not in the roll.Most were aged between 18 and 35.
At Runyararo polling station in Masvingo urban The Standard came across about 10 youths protesting against the injustice but was escorted out by the police. All claimed to have registered in January.

In rural Gutu district, there was a huge turnout as early as 3 am. But there were disturbances at polling stations after MDC polling agents were chased away resulting in a temporary halt of voting.

MDC candidate for Gutu Central, Oliver Chirume said his agents were chased away at Mushayavanhu and Munyaradzi stations by the polling officers but were later allowed back. There was low turnout in Gutu South; at Tandavare primary school, only 270 had cast their vote by 4pm.

At Zimbizi and Gumindoga primary school there were reportedly incidents of intimidation as Zanu PF youths wearing party regalia threatened to beat up people.Results of yesterday’s elections are expected today.

We're being led by fools - Makoni

By Vusumuzi Sifile and Bertha Shoko

INDEPENDENT presidential hopeful, Simba Makoni on Friday attacked President Mugabe’s government as being led by “a bunch of fools”, duped by a self-proclaimed spirit medium into believing diesel could flow from a rock.

Campaigning in Marondera, a Zanu PF stronghold, Makoni left supporters in stitches as he mocked Mugabe’s government. He said Zimbabwe was in chaos because Mugabe has surrounded himself with “fools”.“We are here because the country is being incompetently managed . . . these people are afraid of new ideas and would rather believe a spirit medium who tells them that they can get diesel from a rock,” Makoni said.He said it was ironic that Mugabe’s ministers would believe this “nonsense” when they were aware the Beira pipeline that used to bring fuel to Zimbabwe has been blowing air for years now.

Makoni said after the elections, he expected the 84-year-old to go to his rural home and narrate folk stories to his grandchildren, like normal African old men. This drew huge laughter from about 2 000 supporters.Later, at a press conference at Marondera Hotel, Makoni said voter intimidation was rife, particularly in areas considered to be Zanu PF strongholds. But he said that had not deterred them from campaigning.

Makoni told journalists and the Southern African Development Community observer team that two weeks ago a group of Zanu PF youths had blocked the road to Renco Mine in Masvingo by felling two huge trees across the only road that linked it to their venue.At another venue, Makoni said Zanu PF supporters were sent to distribute maize not far from his rally.

The former finance minister expressed concern that the final voters’ roll had still not been published, yet there were only a few days left before the elections. He said his formation had complained about the inadequate number of polling stations in urban areas.

Meanwhile, journalists from both the local and international media were annoyed with Makoni’s campaign team for misleading them into believing that retired General Solomon Mujuru, Ray Kaukonde and other Zanu PF heavyweights would publicly declare their support for Makoni in Marondera.On Thursday evening, a top official in Makoni’s campaign told The Standard “there would be a major announcement by a Zanu PF heavyweight in Marondera”. Another official in the team later said Mujuru, Kaukonde and other top Zanu PF officials in Mashonaland East would be announced at the Marondera Hotel, and then proceed to address a rally in the town.

An unusually large number of journalists rushed to Marondera on Friday afternoon to witness the announcement of the officials. But when Makoni arrived in Marondera, he went straight to address a rally at an open space in the town. There were no heavyweights in sight.

Makoni said he was not aware that heavyweights would attend his rally. When journalists told Makoni they had actually been informed of it by a top official that Mujuru and others would publicly declare their support for his candidature, Makoni asked back: “Who is Mr Mujuru? Was he going to be here? ... I was not expecting him.” “In our book, every individual is equally important. No one has more votes than others … I do not know how you define people of influence … I am not aware of any behind-the-scenes work”, Makoni said, adding: “This movement has the support of many within Zanu PF.”

ZEC, Zanu PF in 'rigging plot'

By Vusumuzi Sifile and others

SOLDIERS and police officers started voting yesterday, as the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai and independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni revealed they had unearthed plans to rig Saturday’s elections in favour of Zanu PF. The Standard learnt yesterday that casting of postal votes started in the morning and would end on 29 March. But voting for millions of Zimbabweans will take place on a single day.

Tendai Biti, the MDC secretary general, said Zanu PF and ZEC were running the elections “like a private function”.
“We only heard late on Friday afternoon that postal voting was scheduled to start on Saturday morning, which means many of these polling stations for postal ballots will not have polling officers.”

Biti said he had written to the ZEC demanding to know how many postal ballots had been printed and where they would be cast, but had received no response.
Fears of rigging heightened after ZEC ordered Fidelity Printers to print 600 000 postal ballot papers.

ZEC chairman, Justice George Chiweshe, last week said only 8 000 postal ballots had been requested by voters.

Postal ballots are issued to security personnel such as soldiers and police and Zimbabweans at foreign missions. They also apply to voters on official government business but not necessarily outside the country.

A news crew from The Standard yesterday visited Girls’ High School in Harare where polling officers said postal voting had started in the morning.

Officials in Makoni’s camp said they had been told that there were seven senior CIO functionaries who had been attached to ZEC since last week “to do its dirty work”.
This involved inflating postal votes and printing more ballots than were required.
Tsvangirai said they had information that ZEC had ordered nine million ballot papers for each of the elections, despite the fact that ZEC had announced only 5.9 million people had registered to vote.

Tsvangirai showed journalists a letter allegedly written by ZEC, asking the printers to print the postal ballot papers.

“What we are witnessing is an attempt by Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe to try and rig the elections,” said Tsvangirai. “Uniformed forces, including the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the police and prison services are not more that 100 000 when combined.”
“We don’t have any forces on duty in foreign lands. The diplomatic community has also shrunk dramatically over the years. So who does ZEC want to give the 600 000 postal ballots to?”

There has been an outcry after ZEC announced that local council, House of Assembly and Senate results would be announced at polling stations while the results of the presidential poll would be announced at the national command centre.

Makoni told journalists and observers in Marondera on Friday that they were not happy with attempts by ZEC to “shift the goal posts” a few days before polling day.
Makoni said: “Is it going to be at polling stations? Is it going to be at the central command centre? We are looking into these ambiguities about the issue of announcing the results. We are also concerned that a few days before the elections, the final voters’ roll is not yet out.”

Tsvangirai said there was no provision for a command centre in the Electoral Act.
Tsvangirai said an independent analyst had done an analysis of 28 rural constituencies and had unearthed serious discrepancies between the ZEC figures and those on the voters’ roll.
In Goromonzi South, for example, ZEC said there were 28 086 registered voters while the voters’ roll showed 19 422 had registered to vote, giving a discrepancy of more than 8 000. In Chegutu East, ZEC said 31 226 had registered to vote while the voters’ roll puts the number at 25 000 — a discrepancy of 6 000.

In Chikomba Central, while the voters’ roll said 24 000 had registered to vote, ZEC puts the figure at 26 000.
“In all the 28 constituencies the analyst has done there are 90 000 unaccounted for voters,” Tsvangirai said.

The Standard sent a list of questions to the ZEC offices in Harare on Thursday seeking clarification on allegations that they were playing a key role in rigging the elections.
The ZEC director of public relations, Shupikai Mashereni, yesterday acknowledged receiving the questions, saying he had forwarded them to Utloile Silaigwana, the deputy chief elections officer (operations).Silaigwana said: “Honestly I didn’t see your questions. What were they about?”

ZEC, Zanu PF in 'rigging plot'

By Vusumuzi Sifile and others

SOLDIERS and police officers started voting yesterday, as the MDC led by Morgan Tsvangirai and independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni revealed they had unearthed plans to rig Saturday’s elections in favour of Zanu PF. The Standard learnt yesterday that casting of postal votes started in the morning and would end on 29 March. But voting for millions of Zimbabweans will take place on a single day.

Tendai Biti, the MDC secretary general, said Zanu PF and ZEC were running the elections “like a private function”.
“We only heard late on Friday afternoon that postal voting was scheduled to start on Saturday morning, which means many of these polling stations for postal ballots will not have polling officers.”

Biti said he had written to the ZEC demanding to know how many postal ballots had been printed and where they would be cast, but had received no response.
Fears of rigging heightened after ZEC ordered Fidelity Printers to print 600 000 postal ballot papers.

ZEC chairman, Justice George Chiweshe, last week said only 8 000 postal ballots had been requested by voters.

Postal ballots are issued to security personnel such as soldiers and police and Zimbabweans at foreign missions. They also apply to voters on official government business but not necessarily outside the country.

A news crew from The Standard yesterday visited Girls’ High School in Harare where polling officers said postal voting had started in the morning.

Officials in Makoni’s camp said they had been told that there were seven senior CIO functionaries who had been attached to ZEC since last week “to do its dirty work”.
This involved inflating postal votes and printing more ballots than were required.
Tsvangirai said they had information that ZEC had ordered nine million ballot papers for each of the elections, despite the fact that ZEC had announced only 5.9 million people had registered to vote.

Tsvangirai showed journalists a letter allegedly written by ZEC, asking the printers to print the postal ballot papers.

“What we are witnessing is an attempt by Zanu PF and Robert Mugabe to try and rig the elections,” said Tsvangirai. “Uniformed forces, including the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the police and prison services are not more that 100 000 when combined.”
“We don’t have any forces on duty in foreign lands. The diplomatic community has also shrunk dramatically over the years. So who does ZEC want to give the 600 000 postal ballots to?”

There has been an outcry after ZEC announced that local council, House of Assembly and Senate results would be announced at polling stations while the results of the presidential poll would be announced at the national command centre.

Makoni told journalists and observers in Marondera on Friday that they were not happy with attempts by ZEC to “shift the goal posts” a few days before polling day.
Makoni said: “Is it going to be at polling stations? Is it going to be at the central command centre? We are looking into these ambiguities about the issue of announcing the results. We are also concerned that a few days before the elections, the final voters’ roll is not yet out.”

Tsvangirai said there was no provision for a command centre in the Electoral Act.
Tsvangirai said an independent analyst had done an analysis of 28 rural constituencies and had unearthed serious discrepancies between the ZEC figures and those on the voters’ roll.
In Goromonzi South, for example, ZEC said there were 28 086 registered voters while the voters’ roll showed 19 422 had registered to vote, giving a discrepancy of more than 8 000. In Chegutu East, ZEC said 31 226 had registered to vote while the voters’ roll puts the number at 25 000 — a discrepancy of 6 000.

In Chikomba Central, while the voters’ roll said 24 000 had registered to vote, ZEC puts the figure at 26 000.
“In all the 28 constituencies the analyst has done there are 90 000 unaccounted for voters,” Tsvangirai said.

The Standard sent a list of questions to the ZEC offices in Harare on Thursday seeking clarification on allegations that they were playing a key role in rigging the elections.
The ZEC director of public relations, Shupikai Mashereni, yesterday acknowledged receiving the questions, saying he had forwarded them to Utloile Silaigwana, the deputy chief elections officer (operations).Silaigwana said: “Honestly I didn’t see your questions. What were they about?”

Doubts over presidential run-offs

By Vusumuzi Sifile

THE determination of a winner in next week’s Presidential election has been thrown into uncertainty amid revelations that Section 110 of the Electoral Act contradicts the Second Schedule of the same legislation which outlines how the winner will be determined.

This, lawyers said, had the potential to cause confusion as it remained unclear how the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) would read the provisions.
Section 110 (3) of the Electoral Act says in the event that none of the candidates gets a majority, there has to be a run-off within 21 days.
"Where . . . no candidate receives a majority of the total number of valid votes cast, a second election shall be held within twenty-one days after the previous election in accordance with this Act."

But unknown to many political activists, the Second Schedule to the Electoral Act states otherwise. It says that "the Chief Elections Officer shall forthwith declare the candidate who has received . . . the greatest number of votes; to be duly elected as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect from the day of such declaration".

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) warned "this inconsistency has the potential to cause serious problems in the event that none of the Presidential candidates obtain a majority of the votes cast".

The ZLHR said there was a need for an "immediate clarification" of the position regarding a run-off. It sent questions to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) which were not responded to, at the time of going to press.

Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa could not clarify the inconsistencies. He said he was addressing a campaign rally in the rural areas.

Repeated attempts to get clarification from the ZEC were in vain. ZEC spokesperson, Shupikai Mashereni, referred questions to the commission’s legal team, who in turn referred the matter back to Mashereni.

But David Coltart, the Legal Affairs Secretary in the MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara, said if no candidate obtained a majority, there would be a run-off as "the requirement for a run-off in section 110 (3) prevails over the more general provision in the Schedule".

"The usual rule is that where there is a conflict between a section of an Act and that one of the provisions in a schedule, the enactment in this section prevails over that in the schedule," Coltart said.

A Harare lawyer said he suspected "a drafting error in the wording" of the Second Schedule.

"Regrettably paragraph 3 creates confusion because it is somewhat inconsistent with section 110 of the Act," said the lawyer. "It also makes no provision for the run-off election as envisaged in Section 100 in the event of no candidate receiving a majority of the total valid votes cast."

nMeanwhile, an MDC MP has filed an urgent applicant in the High Court seeking to compel the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Registrar General to provide her with a readable and proper electronic copy of the Mount Pleasant voters’ roll.
Trudy Stevenson made the application as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) also refused to avail hard copies of the voters’ roll to the Morgan Tsvangirai led faction of the MDC.

In her application, Stevenson observed the bits and pieces of the electronic voters’ roll she obtained would not help her as a candidate to prepare for the elections.

She also pointed out the roll was seriously flawed, and contained people who should not be on the list of voters.

"I have noticed that Desmond William Lardner- Burke is listed as a voter . . . Desmond William Lardner Burke was minister of Law and Order under Ian Smith and I cannot believe that he is still alive and residing in Mount Pleasant."

Born in 1908, Lardner-Burke died in SA years ago.

Tsvangirai’s MDC said it has received only 50 compact disks containing the electronic voters’ rolls and repeated requests to ZEC to get more "have been met by various excuses, the main one being that their machines have broken down."

Apart from that, said the MDC, the format in which the voters’ rolls are saved makes them "materially deficient" in various respects.

"Even this is difficult in respect of some of the compact disks supplied to us because the JPEG image has a watermark obliterating some of the names. We are unable to analyse and interrogate the voters’ rolls because it is an electronic picture and not electronic data."

In a letter dated 11 March 2008 to ZEC chairman George Chiweshe, MDC Tsvangirai secretary general Tendai Biti said it was illegal for the commission to deny the party the voters’ roll.

He said the Electoral Act clearly states that the commission shall provide any person "without delay" who requests it, with a copy of the voters’ roll.

Biti said in the past two weeks, MDC national director of elections Dennis Murira had been trying to get copies of the voters’ roll and was informed by a ZEC official that copies would only be available after elections "since production centre is busy".

Biti also sought assurance from ZEC that the ink to be used by in the election could not be washed away after voting, making it possible for voters to vote more than once.

ZEC chairman George Chiweshe could not be reached for comment as he was said to be out of town on business.

Mugabe 'offered Dabengwa VP post'

By Kholwani Nyathi and Vusumuzi Sifile

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe on Friday said he was shocked at Dumiso Dabengwa’s decision to back Simba Makoni’s presidential ambitions, as reports surfaced that the ex-Zipra intelligence chief had turned down an offer to be Zanu PF vice-president.

Under an unwritten covenant of the Unity Accord signed in 1987 between Mugabe and the late PF-Zapu leader, Joshua Nkomo, Zanu PF and the State would have two vice-presidents from the former parties.

Joseph Msika holds the post on behalf of PF-Zapu, having succeeded Nkomo. He is due to retire after the 29 March elections.

Reports say Dabengwa turned down the offer on the grounds that it had come too late.
Although Dabengwa remained a Zanu PF politburo member after the 2000 parliamentary elections, in which he lost his Nkulumane seat to the MDC’s Gibson Sibanda, he was not in the Cabinet, his last portfolio there being Home Affairs.

Last week, Mugabe reportedly vented his emotions on Dabengwa’s defection at a private briefing of government and Zanu PF officials in Plumtree.

He said he had been particularly incensed by Dabengwa’s decision to back Makoni, "a little man".
"Why should Cde Dabengwa have gone that divergent way?" he asked. "I can’t understand what the real motivation is. What makes me feel rather upset is that Makoni was never in the limelight. Dumiso came from the grassroots. I can’t understand why, he chose to follow a little man like Makoni."

Yet Mugabe avoided attacking Dabengwa at rallies in Plumtree and Esibomvu Business Centre in Esigodini.

A host of former Zipra commanders have publicly backed Dabengwa’s stance.
The Standard was told that a few days before Dabengwa went public with his backing of Makoni, Mugabe tried to dissuade him, promising him the vice-presidency.
Dabengwa was said to be away on business in South Africa until Wednesday.

Sources said Mugabe tried again during a surprise overnight stop in Bulawayo on his way to Beitbridge for his birthday bash, but was again unsuccessful.

"No one knew about the president’s visit until the last minute and we had to run around to get people to welcome him at the airport," said a Zanu PF official in Bulawayo.
"The word was that he had come to find out why people in the province were switching to Makoni’s camp, but we understand he couldn’t meet with Dabengwa because he was out of town."

The rift between Mugabe and Dabengwa first surfaced late last year when Mugabe appeared to have re-admitted suspended war veterans’ leader, Jabulani Sibanda.
Former PF Zapu heavyweights were furious at the move.

A day after Sibanda’s "Million Man March" in Harare, Dabengwa said he was "not sure what whoever is using Sibanda is up to when party rules and regulations are very clear".

Zanu PF national chairman, John Nkomo, has been linked to Makoni’s presidential bid. At the launch of Zanu PF’s manifesto, Nkomo avoided an outright attack on Makoni. Even when Oppah Muchinguri and Joseph Chinotimba tried to incite Nkomo to say "Pasi naMakoni (Down with Makoni)", he ignored them and simply said: "Pasi nekuruza ma elections" (losing elections is not an option).

Citizen snag could bar 'alien' voters

By Vusumuzi Sifile

THOUSANDS of Zimbabweans with non-indigenous origins could be barred from voting on 29 March, even if they have known only Zimbabwe as their home and their names appear on the voters’ roll, The Standard has learnt.

This could affect thousands of farm workers and urban voters.

The likelihood of disenfranchisement emerged in a letter to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) litigation lawyer, Rangu Nyamurundira.
He wrote that some "aliens" whose names appear on the voters’ roll had already been told they would not be allowed to vote.

According to the letter, MacDonald Lewanika, a Zimbabwean with Zambian ancestry, was barred from inspecting the voters’ roll on 14 February because he was considered an alien.
His brother, Gregory Irvin, was also barred from registering to vote for the same reason.
Lewanika, a civic activist, took up the issue with ZLHR, who in turn called Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for clarification. They insisted that Lewanika be allowed to inspect the voters’ roll as he had the right to do so under Section 21 of the Electoral Act.

On checking the roll, Lewanika established he was indeed registered to vote in Mufakose constituency. But one of the officials at the inspection centre told him that, even with his name on the voters’ roll, he would still not be able to vote because he was an alien.

"Despite him being registered as a voter under Mufakose Constituency and in fact having voted in all elections since 2000 Parliamentary elections Mr MacDonald (Lewanika) was told that he would not be allowed to vote . . . because he was an alien, and despite the fact that he was registered to vote," ZLHR’s Nyamurundira wrote to ZEC.

With three weeks to go before the elections, ZLHR and other civic organisations fear more people could find themselves in Lewanika’s predicament — registered to vote but unable to vote.
"Many Zimbabweans in fact find themselves in our clients’ position and have been denied their democratic right to vote. Those already registered to vote stand to be denied casting their vote come 29 March 2008," said Nyamurundira.

Attempts to contact ZEC chairperson, Justice George Chiweshe, were fruitless as he was said to be out of town. ZEC deputy chief elections officer (operations) Utloile Silaigwana said he had not seen the letter from ZLHR.

After amendments to the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act in 2001, there has been confusion over the status of Zimbabweans registered as "aliens".
Section 9 of the Act prohibits dual citizenship, and requires Zimbabweans with dual citizenship to renounce foreign citizenship they would have "acquired".
In its letter to ZEC, ZLHR argued that most aliens never "acquired" foreign citizenship in the first place.

In the Government Gazette of 22 November 2002, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said a mere potential claim to foreign citizenship, as opposed to actual possession, would not result in loss of citizenship. Nevertheless thousands of citizens were instructed by the Registrar-General’s office to renounce foreign citizenships they never had.

Last week ZLHR, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions) and the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers’ Union of Zimbabwe (GAPWUZ) held a workshop to sensitise many possible casualties of the current "misinterpretation of the Citizenship Act".
GAPWUZ represents workers at all farms and plantations in the country, most of whose workers are descendants of Malawians, Zambians and Mozambicans.

A GAPWUZ official said so far the union had identified more than 100 people in Mashonaland Central with such a status. The union was currently compiling a list of all those affected and once the list was completed, would mount a legal challenge.

At the Nomination Court on 15 February, Eddie Cross of the MDC was initially barred from filling his papers because there was a misunderstanding on his citizenship status, it being suggested he was British.

Cross argued he was a Zimbabwean, and was eventually allowed to file his papers in Bulawayo.

Zanu PF poll manifesto: same old rhetoric

By Vusumuzi Sifile and John Mokwetsi

ZANU PF’s campaign manifesto launched in Harare on 29 February focuses on the party’s past achievements, confirming opposition claims that the party has run out of fresh ideas to rescue the country from the current economic malaise.

The manifesto centres on the same issues that have been at the core of Zanu PF’s campaign in elections since 2000 — fighting sanctions and British imperialism, indigenisation and reforming agriculture, education, health and mining.

The party is still offering the same unfulfilled promises it made in 2005 and previous elections. In 2005, Zanu PF said by 2008, the government would have built 1 250 000 houses. According to the manifesto, only 7 500 houses were completed under Operation Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle.
The party promised to stabilise the exchange rate and reduce inflation to single digits. At the time, inflation was 237.8%, but it is now 100 580.02%, a world record. The Zimbabwe dollar continues to tumble against major currencies.

The manifesto says the party would assist the poor with school fees. Evidence on the ground is that the exact opposite is the case: state assistance to students at tertiary institutions has been slashed. As a result, many university students cannot fund their studies.

The manifesto, launched amid fanfare in Harare, does not refer to the 2005 promises, but rather to what has been achieved since independence.

In fact, about 20 pages are devoted to "What Zanu PF has done", 43 pages — about half the document — dwell on "West bashing". Some analysts said the only difference between the 2005 election manifesto and the 2008 one is the former had 53 pages and the latter 93.

Presenting the manifesto, President Mugabe admitted most of their previous policies had flopped, resulting in failure to maintain standards.

Vice-President Joseph Msika said some ministers were only good at "rhetoric", their policies not bearing any fruit.

Giving a vote of thanks, Msika singled out Joseph Made, the Minister of Agricultural Mechanisation, whom he told to "interpret your rhetoric into practice".

Zanu PF chairman John Nkomo cautioned party officials against lying to the electorate.
University lecturer and political analyst, John Makumbe, said the manifesto was a clear indication Zanu PF had run out of ideas and had nothing new to offer.

Makumbe said: "What Zanu PF is proposing is more of the same and it will not help this country at all. We need change and not continuity. Zanu PF has no capacity to bring about change... So voters must look for a candidate with better proposals."

The manifesto says "illegal Western sanctions have undermined the economy", and claims the MDC lobbied for sanctions.

John Robertson, an economic analyst says there is no way the sanctions could be blamed, as they were only imposed when the economy was already in a nosedive.

"The West is not to blame, the problems are of our own making," said Robertson. "This is not about sanctions; the situation started deteriorating way before the sanctions. The manifesto does not offer relief because there is no change in policies that are causing this economic damage."

Civic activist, Gorden Moyo said the manifesto was a "glaring failure, not attractive to any investor, voter, businessperson or academic".

"The manifesto is empty... hollow," said Moyo. "They don’t know how to package issues."

Makoni's independent candidates attacked

OFFICIALS who are part of Simba Makoni’s independent candidates for the 29 March elections yesterday reported two violent incidents against their members.

The Hatfield house of their Harare South candidate in the House of Assembly, Joram Nago, was besieged by suspected Zanu PF youths in the morning.

In the afternoon, while driving from Hopley Farm where he was scheduled to address a rally today, Nago and his driver were stopped by youths who accused them of trying to enter a "no-go" area.

The police had cleared the rally.

The Standard caught up with Nago as he made a report at Waterfalls police station. He told the police that after beating him, the youths took away his police clearance letter. A police officer acknowledged in the presence of The Standard they had cleared the rally.

Yesterday evening, Nago was still to go to hospital for a medical check-up as he was assisting police investigators.

In the second incident, two pfficials one of their vehicles were attacked while waiting to fill up at a service station along Samora Machel Avenue and Fourth Street in Harare.

Never Mutamba, one of those assaulted, said they were saved by Police Support Unit officers passing by the service station.

Fears of flawed poll mount

By Vusumuzi Sifile, Caiphas Chimhete and Nqobani Ndlovu

ZANU PF has stepped up violence and intimidation against opposition supporters ahead of this month’s polls, virtually shutting out the possibility of a free and fair election, The Standard can report.

Reports of violence, threats by security chiefs against legitimate protest and directives on how uniformed officers should vote all disregard the SADC guidelines on how elections should be conducted.

Zanu PF’s complaints to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on remarks made by an opposition spokesman about lessons from Kenya compound an already flawed process. The Standard has also learnt that the election management body’s limited capacity to publicise constituency boundaries, the list of candidates, and the wards in which voting will take place will conspire to create a highly uneven electoral field.

Since the beginning of the year, the opposition MDC says it has recorded over 100 cases of torture, assault and intimidation of its supporters by State security forces and Zanu PF youth militia.

MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa said unless Zanu PF and state security forces stopped this culture of violence, the elections would result in another disputed outcome.

"This on-going violence undermines the credibility of the whole electoral process," he said. "Our supporters have been running away from the rural areas, especially over the past few weeks."
Adding to the concerns over a flawed electoral process, the ZEC has said it will not give the date the results of the 29 March poll will be announced on because it feared that might spark post-election violence.

Analysts have said there are fears that if the elections were rigged - as they believe is widely suspected by opposition parties and civic groups to be the case - there might be a "Kenya-style" spontaneous outbreak of violence.

Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri has threatened the use of firearms to quell protests.

But Professor Eldred Masunungure of the Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) said the effect of the threat by ZEC to the Zimbabwe Election Support Network over voter education, when ZEC does not have the capacity to educate voters, "bodes very poorly" for the freeness and fairness of the elections. MPOI’s survey, he said, had found that 75% of the people surveyed had not received any voter education from the ZEC.

He said police threats against legitimate protest limited the space for competition and was a "damnation on the freeness and fairness of the polls and the conduct of the electoral process".
On the complaint by Patrick Chinamasa to the ZEC over statements by the opposition MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa on the consequences of electoral fraud, Masunungure believes these could be a signal for a major clampdown on opposition forces and civil society organisations deemed to be appendages of the opposition.

"It is a pretext of something being planned and the effect of curbing freedom of expression will have a bearing on the freeness and fairness of the elections," he said.

Shupikai Mashereni, the ZEC spokesperson, last week said the commission would not announce a date when the results would be finalized and released.
"This is because we don’t want to be accused of rigging elections if we release the results earlier or later than the estimated date.

"Doing so might also spark post-election violence, similar to that experienced in Kenya should the results not favour the majority."

The ZEC, which took more than a week to release the official list of successful election candidates, has dismissed claims it faces serious logistical problems.

Noel Kututwa, the chairperson of the ZESN described as "dangerous and intimidatory" utternaces by service chiefs. "It’s a coup, basically. It is not the role of the police or army to issue statements like that. They are there basically to defend the country and uphold the Constitution. Their allegiance is to the country and not to individuals."

Prisons chief Ret Major-General Paradzayi Zimondi said he would not salute Morgan Tsvangirai or Simba Makoni should they win on March 29.
The pronouncements, Kututwa said, did not give civil society the impression that Zimbabwe will have a free and fair election. "There’s just no confidence."
Observers say the same confusion encountered at nomination courts could spill into the elections.

Since 2000 Zanu PF has been accused of stealing elections when it faced a strong challenge from the MDC.

Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri said the police, known for their violent suppression of anti-government protests, would not hesitate to use force, including firearms, against "mischief makers" during the election period.

President Robert Mugabe has in the past pledged to "bash" any anti-government protesters.
Chamisa said the violence was countrywide, citing reports from the Midlands and Banket in Mashonaland West.

Two weeks ago more than 10 MDC officials were detained for organising a rally at Renco Mine in Masvingo South. In Mbare, two MDC members were beaten up and detained briefly at Stodart Police Station.

Three days before the MDC 2008 campaign launch in Mutare, said the report, military police picked up three people queuing at a city bank, accusing them of discussing politics. They were beaten up and later released.

None of the incidents could be independently confirmed.

The Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe (CCZ) said state-sponsored attacks on opposition members and civil society indicated a political environment that could not produce a democratic electoral outcome.

"In this regard, the 29 March 2008 elections will be held in a repressive environment replete with intimidation and organised violence and will simply become a regular self-legitimating ritual by the government of Zimbabwe," said CCZ spokesperson McDonald Lewanika.

He urged Zanu PF to dismantle the infrastructure of violence such as the youth militia and make a political commitment to stop violence.

Govt betrays local varsities

By Vusumuzi Sifile

THERE was celebration, jubilation and entertainment at State House on 16 February when President Robert Mugabe held a reception for 481 students bound for South African universities under the Presidential Scholarship Programme.

In the past, beneficiaries were sent only to Fort Hare University, Mugabe’s alma mater.

But the programme has been expanded to include Rhodes, KwaZulu Natal, Witwatersrand, Venda, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan, Johannesburg, Cape Peninsula and Walter Sisulu universities.

While the government has expanded the presidential scholarship programme, it has ironically slashed financial support to students at local institutions.

Local students now feel the government has sacrificed them for the sake of pleasing a few not-so-deserving students.

In the view of the disaffected students the government should improve the education delivery system at home, rather than expanding what they describe as the “flawed Mugabe scholarship programme”.

On Wednesday, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) issued a communiqué calling on South Africa “to immediately revoke students’ visas of all the children of the ruling Zanu PF elite who are currently studying in South Africa”.

“The majority of the beneficiaries, if not all, are kids, friends and relatives of Zanu PF’s top officials,” said the communiqué.

“The money used to finance 481 students heading for South Africa should have been used productively to improve on education systems in the country for the benefit of the majority. We condemn, in the strongest of terms, the use of state resources for patronage purposes.”

Among other things, ZINASU said the money used for the programme could have paid local lecturers, some of whom are leaving tertiary institutions to seek greener pastures. Charity begins at home, they maintain. Interestingly, The Standard understands Zimbabwean lecturers form a good proportion of the faculty at most of the institutions to which the government is sending the scholarship beneficiaries.

“To the receiving country, South Africa, President (Thabo) Mbeki and President (Jacob) Zuma… we urge you to deport all students studying on Zimbabwe state resources and have them taste their father’s medicine. They must go through the suffering and pain of studying at a Zimbabwe tertiary state institution together with us.”

The co-ordinator of the scholarship programme, Chris Mushohwe, was said to be out of his office.

While the students who received scholarships have already left for their different programmes with everything they needed, students at tertiary institutions back home are not sure what the future holds for them.

All State universities recently hiked fees, landing some students’ parents with $1.4 billion-a-semester bills. This could prejudice a good number of qualified students.

At the Midlands State University (MSU), the second semester for the 2007/2008 academic year, scheduled to have begun last Monday, has been postponed to 7 April because of the harmonised elections due on 29 March. The fees have also gone up.

At the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), students said they were not even sure if the campus would re-open as scheduled. The new semester was initially scheduled to begin on 31 March, but has now been delayed by a week to 7 April.

Two weeks ago, the institution advertised for 138 academic posts, but students believe the number is far too short for what the institution needs, to function effectively.

At least 51 of the advertised posts are in the College of Health Sciences, which comprises the Department of Medicine, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Microbiology, Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rehabilitation, and Pharmacy.

This has forced the university to rely mostly on private doctors for tuition.

According to UZ students’ leaders, at the close of the last semester the university was operating with about 400 lecturers, a discrepancy of 800.

For the better part of last year, the few lecturers who remained were on strike.

Lovemore Chinoputsa, ZINASU’s secretary-general, said under the current circumstances, it would be pointless for the UZ to re-open.

“At the moment the university has no capacity to effectively execute its duties,” he said.

He is also the president of the UZ Students Executive Council (SEC).

“This is a disservice to the students and the people of Zimbabwe,” he said. “It is disheartening to note that the current government continues to renege on its responsibility of ensuring quality tertiary education.”

Two weeks ago, students petitioned the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Stan Mudenge, to urgently address the malaise, demanding “a sound Education Policy that provides for a sustainable growth”.

Mudenge on Wednesday said they were not sidelining students at local institutions.

“At the moment, they are on vacation,” said Mudenge. “They will see what we are doing for them when they open for the new semester. They should wait and see what we are doing to address their present plight and situation when they open.”

ZINASU leaders have in the past told The Standard most attempts to engage Mudenge’s ministry on their grievances had not been fruitful.

The minister said “the students have absolutely every right to come to me if they have any complaints”.

One of the few reputable lecturers still teaching at the UZ, Professor John Makumbe, said it was becoming more and more difficult for the UZ to “execute its mandate”.

“Most of the heads of departments are largely acting people,” said Makumbe. “The situation is so grim, I doubt if some departments will be able to function when we open. The major reason for all this is just poor pay. Presently, I think we have a vacancy rate of 60% to 70%, and that is non-viable. The university cannot execute its mandate under the current set-up. The current situation is not good for the education system.”

At the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Bulawayo the situation is said to be “very critical”. This has resulted in a number of departments being run by people without doctorates.

“Most senior lecturers are leaving, and junior lecturers who are seconded for staff development fellowships have been reluctant to come back,” said a NUST official.

“The major problem is money. Even the ones who remain are always on strike. They are as good as if they were not there. People are disgruntled over salaries and poor working conditions.”

Tertiary education in Zimbabwe was once ranked among the best in Africa, but growing dissatisfaction among professionals and under funding have seen standards nose-diving.

The government no longer supports students through grants and loans, as it did only a few years ago.

The charity has gone out of the government’s soul, say analysts.

First published in The Standard, 02 March 2008