Zimbabwe Elections-A Time For Change?

Will Mugabe continue to reign as Zimbabwe’s leader once all votes of the supposedly “non-rigged” election are counted. March 29th was election day in Zimbabwe, where Robert Mugabe fought yet again to retain his power over one the poorest country in the world which he has controlled for 28 years. With inflation at 100,000% and unemployment at 80%, change is needed, badly. Zimbabwe, once a shining gem of Africa has been on a steady path toward self-destruction. Beginning in 2000 with the mandatory seizure of white farmers’ land, to the 2005 Operation Murambatsvuina in which 570,000 were internally displaced, and the exodus of 3.4 million people mainly into South Africa, Zimbabwe has seen better days. But there is hope, as we await confirmation of the winner of Saturday’s elections.

Robert Mugabe, of the ZANU-PF party, came to power on April 18th, 1980. He is vying against Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC party and Simba Makoni of the ZANU-PF.  Morgan Tsvangirai, the controversial former Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, may be better known for  being charged with Treason in 2003 after it was alleged that he sought to have Mugabe killed and for being beaten up by Mugabe’s men in 2007. Simba Makoni on the other hand is a newcomer to this competition. The former Finance Minister, who was sacked after calling for the devaluation of the currency, is seen as the true contender. However, there is fear that he could split his party apart. Lastly there is the relatively unknown Langton Towungana who is running as an independent on the platform of transparency and accountability.

As of now, Morgan Tsvangirai is being reported as the winner but as Zimbabwe election rules state, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote otherwise a second round must be held within 3 weeks. While we wait for the results, fears are rising in the country that rigging is occurring. With CNN and other international media outlets banned from the country, we can only trust either Zimbabwe’s government or the election watchdogs sent from the SADC, Venezuela, China, Russia, and Iran to maintain that honest and fair elections have been held. The real concern now is whether Zimbabwe will now follow Kenya’s suit and fall into a chaos after elections in that country were disputed.  

Published Date: April 01, 2008