Two MDC activists shot dead in front of election observers

By Tichaona Sibanda
19 June 2008

The level of the Zanu-PF sense of impunity reached new heights on Tuesday when two MDC activists were shot dead, separately, in front of SADC observer teams. This comes as more African leaders join a growing list of world and regional leaders calling on Mugabe to stop the violence against the opposition.

In the strongest regional condemnation yet of pre-poll violence perpetrated by the regime, the Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said the presidential run-off on June 27 is very unlikely to be free and fair.

Membe told a news conference in Tanzania that there is every sign that these elections will never be free nor fair after observer teams witnessed the cold bloodied murder of two MDC activists.

‘We have received a report that says on the 16th of June this year, as the observers were being deployed to those various stations, two people were shot dead. Of course, it scared most of these observers to the extent that they had to pose the question of why are we here then, and what are we doing?’

‘There is a derailment of Tsvangirai wherever he wants to go to campaign, he’s detained at police stations,’ Membe added. Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said the two incidents being referred to by SADC took place in Karoi and Hurungwe in Mashonaland West province.’

The Tanzanian Foreign Minister was speaking on behalf of a peace and security troika of nations from the Southern African Development Community. Tanzania is also current chairman of the African Union. Membe said he and the foreign ministers of Swaziland and Angola would write to their presidents ‘so that they do something urgently so that we can save Zimbabwe.’

‘As Tanzania, we have told the government of Zimbabwe to stop the violence. We have told our observers not to be threatened, that they do their work without fear. People of Zimbabwe are hurting and it pains us,’ Membe said.

Another African President has also spoken out strongly against Robert Mugabe.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has criticised the current situation in the country saying ‘it is a failure’ adding that Robert Mugabe was now, a ‘joke’

Speaking to journalists in Kigali, Kagame blamed the failure by African leaders to address the problems in Zimbabwe. Referring to Mugabe Kagame said, ‘If somebody stands up boldly and says whether the other side wins or not he shall still hold on to power - why make a fuss about elections then? Why don’t you just say I am in power and I am here to stay and then try to justify that,’ he said.

He added; ‘The whole thing is a joke. I am saying this because of what is obviously a serious problem in Zimbabwe.’ The Rwandan president also questioned why Mugabe is trying to give the impression that there is a democracy in Zimbabwe and yet he has openly declared he won’t hand over power.

Addressing mourners at a funeral of a retired army general last week, Mugabe warned he would not cede power to Morgan Tsvangirai.

‘We shed a lot of blood for this country. We are not going to give up our country for a mere X on a ballot. How can a ballpoint pen fight with a gun?’

A diplomat in Harare described the atmosphere as very violent, adding the violence was not abating but was spreading to many areas that had not witnessed violence before.

Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni has also spoken out against Mugabe, saying; ‘If he loses the elections, he must go.’

‘How can he stay without winning elections? It’s impossible,’ Museveni told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has reiterated his criticism of African leaders and their silence on Mugabe. Speaking in New York on Wednesday, Odinga said; ‘It is a grave indictment on our leadership that an African country can hold elections and fail to announce results for one month yet no country raises a finger’.

‘We must learn to own our problems and take responsibility. Zimbabwe is an eyesore on the African continent. I’m sad that so many heads of state in Africa have remained quiet when disaster is looming in Zimbabwe,’ he said.

Consensus is building in the international community that the presidential run-off cannot be free and fair after months of political violence blamed on the regime’s supporters. Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have also been displaced by the violence and will not be able to participate in the elections because of this.