Hundreds cast mock ballots in Diaspora
By Brilliant Pongo
29 March, 2008

Zimbabweans in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have staged protests over their exclusion from voting in Saturday's election back home. They held mock elections to reflect the poll in Zimbabwe and protesters say the exclusion is a breach of the constitution.
Two separate events were held in the UK - one in London and the other in Coventry. The MDC-UK held its mock elections and protests in Coventry where polling booths opened at mid-day to allow for Zimbabwean traveling from around the UK time to get to the Midlands city.

MDC-UK information and publicity secretary Matthew Nyashanu said; “The event is a characterization of what should be happening in Zimbabwe and a pre-celebration of victory for the people of Zimbabwe today. The polling started at 12 noon and will go on until 5 pm to give exiled Zimbabweans living in the United Kingdom a chance to cast their vote since they are not allowed to do so officially by the Zimbabwe government”.

The Zimbabwe Vigil held their mock election at the Zimbabwe Embassy in the Strand, in London where the loud and jubilant crowd started gathering at 6 am to demonstrate their support for voters back home.

In South Africa, members of the Revolutionary Youth movement of Zimbabwe, who had planned to hold a 24 hour sit-in from Friday outside the Zimbabwe embassy in Pretoria, were prevented from doing so by members of South African intelligence agents. They had intended to go to President Mbeki’s Offices to leave a petition, and then proceed on to the Zimbabwean Embassy. The group went ahead with their planned mock election at a different location, the Walter Sisulu Square in Soweto.