Zimbabwe

In today's roundup: China, USA, Russia, Cuba, Ireland, EU and Zimbabwe. Photo of a water tank in Cuba from the Generation Y blog.

In today's roundup: Burma, Bolivia, China, Kosovo, USA, Zimbabwe, and Haiti and the global food crisis. Photograph of children in Haiti by Flickr user sagabardon.

In today's roundup: China, Tibet, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iran, Nauru and the USA. Photo of pro-Tibet demonstration by Flickr user mejules.

In today's roundup: Zimbabwe, Egypt, Italy, Burma, Australia and China.

Photo of Pangsau, Burma, by Flickr user Artisteinconnu-back.

Monitoring the SADC Guidelines

On the 17th August 2004, in Mauritius, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders adopted the "SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections". As a member of SADC, Zimbabwe was a signatory to these benchmark principles, and therefore it is entirely fitting that the regime's performance in relation to the forthcoming elections in 2008 should be measured against this standard.

Sokwanele has embarked on a project with precisely this in mind: for the last 16 weeks, through our Zimbabwe Election Watch (ZEW) project, we have been monitoring the Zimbabwean government's performance against the SADC standards. We believe that elections are a process, not an event. The success or failure of the day itself depends largely on the months (perhaps years?)preceding it, and whether vital electoral standards have been respected throughout the process.

We have so far identified a total of 492 breaches across 24 of the SADC standards. These figures present questions that need answers. Chief among them,

• Is it possible, despite the 492 breaches recorded so far, for the people of Zimbabwe to have genuinely 'free and fair' elections in 2008?
• What is an acceptable standard for 'free and fair elections' : 1 breach? 10 breaches? 100 breaches? 492 breaches?
• How much time needs to pass to counter-balance mayhem? A few months or a few years?
• Are some breaches 'maximum penalty' offences, while others warrant nothing more than a slap on the wrist, or a small fine?

This blog was written by a Zimbabwean refugee living in South Africa. Visit SW Radio Africa for more about the billboard at the centre of controversy in South Africa.

Before I fled Zimbabwe, I lived in an area that strongly supported the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. I too was a supporter but was not seen to be that active.

About three and a half years ago the youth militia, who we call the Green Bombers, were deployed into our area to identify people who were MDC supporters. I was approached by about ten Green Bombers at my home and they accused me of being a member of the MDC and indicated I caused trouble in the area. They told me that I was to leave the MDC and start supporting the ruling ZANU PF party but I told them I would not give up my support for the MDC.

These militia then beat me severely until I was unconscious. This beating took place in front of my family. They threatened that if I continued to support the MDC, they would evict the family and myself from our house. They then left and assaulted other MDC supporters in the area as well as doing damage to their houses.

Over the next two to three years I was arrested on four occasions by members of the security forces and CIO, on each occasion I was badly beaten and humiliated in front of other people as an example as to what would happen should they be so foolish as to support the MDC.

When you bring a child into the world, you stare into clouded little eyes and see a future of endless potential and opportunity. You promise to move heaven and earth to make
sure your precious baby will know a better life than you.

But, in Zimbabwe the new mother stares in terror into the eyes of her newborn infant, for she knows only too well that the road ahead is one filled with potholes and obstacles, dead ends and u turns.

When Democracy dies, the ruler can make his own laws.
Democracy dies also when the press is silenced or banned, and freedom of expression is destroyed.

But in Africa we have the jungle-drum, grapevine, call it what you want. The people don't have newspapers, radios and televisions, and news travels through the air, just as it always has done.

To this can be added the ability of African people to repeat a story exactly as they heard it. It is an ability that has developed to preserve oral history over the pre-literate millennia. It was practised over hundreds of generations so that now the ability is practically in our genes.

Thus when someone hears the Word on the street in Zimbabwe, that person might take it as being mostly accurate. Some recent stuff is pretty interesting.

One example of the Word on the Bush Path in recent weeks is the story regarding the headman’s cattle and the Cold Storage Commission (CSC) cattle truck. (Note: the CSC is a ‘parastatal’ organisation that was set up by the Rhodesians to assist ranchers. It was retained by the incumbent Zanu PF regime because it was both useful and lucrative - for the new lootocrats anyway).

The activist who wrote this blog for us works very closely with victims of Murambatsvina (please also read our post written by a 14 year old child). Operation Murambatsvina took place in 2005, but the consequences will be felt for years. Operation Murambatsvina took place immediately after the 2005 elections - an act which most believe was a vicious 'lesson' and form of reprisal attack to dissuade those from supporting the opposition party. It is because of people like MaSibanda and MaMoyo that the fight for democracy is absolutely critical. For many the difference between totalitarianism and democracy is akin to a choice between life and death.

MaMoyo wakes thrashing about in a hopeless deep darkness, her heart pounding. It's that dream, the one where she falls into the well while fetching water, and her grandchildren trying to rescue her fall in too. As her terror subsides she looks through a rip in the plastic wall to see it's still dark. Exhausted, she tries to sleep again. Every night is a struggle. Alone crying, her heart racing she tries to think of some way to lift her family out of the pit. Her daughter sleeping beside her mutters something, fighting off her own demons.

This is a story written by a 14 year old child, a victim of the Zanu PF government's Operation Murambatsvina.We give it to you here, literally in her own words. We've obscured some details to protect the child from potential reprisals.

1. Read page 1 (view large)