Morgan Tsvangirai

"Happy but subdued" about Mugabe-Tsvangirai deal

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:46:35 +0200

After six months of political and economic turmoil, and mass violence, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed Thursday to share power.

Twenty-eight years under Mugabe's rule have left Zimbabwe, once known as the "bread basket" of Africa, devastated by food shortages, poverty and astronomical inflation.

When, after the March presidential elections, results suggested that Tsvangirai's MDC party won more votes than 84-year-old Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party, the government went on the offensive. The resulting campaign of intimidation and power politics only ended Thursday night, when South African President Thabo Mbeki announced that the pair had agreed to sign a power-sharing deal.

Details have not been announced, but it is thought that Mugabe will remain president while Tsvangirai will become prime minister and that their two parties will be allocated an equal number of seats in Parliament. The deal is to be signed Monday. Here are our Zimbabwean Observers' reactions to the news.

Vote for Mugabe, or don’t vote at all

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:17:45 +0200

An empty polling station in Bulawayo on Friday morning. Posted by Sokwanele 27 June 08.

Zimbabweans are voting today in what's being labelled a "one-man election". Despite opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulling out of the competition on Sunday, President Robert Mugabe pushed ahead with the run-off between the two men. The opposition has accused Mugabe's ZANU-PF party of using violence to scare people into voting for Mugabe. One of our Observers went to the polls; another dared to stay at home. Here are their accounts of the day's events, told anonymously.

Stop dreaming, Mugabe's here to stay

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:54:24 +0200

A campaign poster for Mugabe's party

Hopes for a fair election are over in Zimbabwe after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of Friday's planned run-off on Sunday. But while expectations have been quashed, repressive government violence and spiralling food prices seem to be unstoppable.

After months of waiting, the Zimbabwean people will not get a run-off election between opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and dictatorial leader Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai pulled out of the race on Sunday and is in hiding in the capital's Dutch embassy. Yesterday, the UN Security Council said that a free and fair election would be "impossible". Over 70 Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters are presumed dead and more than 3,000 people have been hospitalised, along with sky-rocketing food prices and inflation heading towards 120% percent week on week (according to the country's daily The Herald).

Would Zimbabwe really be better off without Mugabe?

Julien — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:00:02 +0200

The monster is cornered posted on Flickr by Sokwanele

In their fourth day of waiting for election results, frustrated voters are imagining what their lives might be like after 28 years of dictatorial rule.

Although the word on the street is that Mugabe is about to hand over his Mercedes to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, this is far from certain. Some say that the most likely outcome of the elections is a run-off in a few days' time, buying Mugabe's ZANU party some much-needed time. There are also worries about a deal being done behind closed doors- which would mean both parties are manipulating the electoral process. Nevertheless, our Observers are already imagining a life without the iron-fisted dictator.