Zimbabwe Report
30 Days until the election:
Why the World should watch Zimbabwe Closely
by Scott Morgan
Thursday, March 3, 2005
There are approximately 30 days until the mid-term elections in Zimbabwe. These elections are very crucial as they may determine not only the future of democracy in that nation, but also the stability of Southern africa itself. If the elections go as many insiders believe they will then Zimbabwe will be an authoritarian government with a rubber stamp Parliament.
One of the first areas that should be watched with great scrutiny is the assault on the independent media. Within the last two weeks, four journalists have been forced to flee the country. also another independent newspaper, the Weekly Times has been ordered to cease publication by the Media and Information Commission. Zimbabwe has a very repressive law. aIPPa (access to Information and Protection of Privacy act) has been used to shield Government members and supporters from the media. The Media Commission certifies journalists and news outlets and has been able to silence voices that have been critical of the ruling ZaNU-PF (Zimbabwe african National Union-Patriotic Front). There are rumors that the commission is planning on targeting yet another newspaper.
another area of concern is the targeting of NGOs. In December, 2004 the Parliament passed a controversial bill regulating these organizations. at this time, the legislation has not been signed into law by President Mugabe. There are major problems with this legislation. a Parliamentary Committee found that this bill violated at least a dozen sections of the Zimbabwean Constitution. This bill tries to prevent foreign funding of NGOs. On Feb. 25th, the Public Welfare Minister announced that 30 NGOs may be closed down because of misappropriation of funds. It is felt that this is an attempt to make ordinary Zimbabweans more dependent on Government sources for food, legal services and medical care. a challenge to the bill of the President by a group of NGOs has not been answered as yet. IF this is signed, it will not be the answer that they want.
There is an ominous sign on the horizon and it is the potential involvement of the armed Forces of Zimbabwe. They have gone on record as saying that the Opposition would not take power even if they won any elections. That statement is bold and should concern people. There also have been two large arms shipments from the People’s Republic of China delivered in recent weeks. Most of the equipment delivered is designed for crowd control. also retirees have been called back to service for duty. There are also rumors of a potential coup if things go bad. This is a crucial scenario.
Lastly, there is a new outside enemy. One of the planks of this campaign used by ZaNU-PF has been anti-Tony Blair. Britain has been a long-standing target of the Government, but there is a new target now. It seems that they are now taking shots at the United States. In recent weeks, the Government has taken some shots at Condeleeza Rice referring to her as a fascist and a slave to President Bush. The Government of Zimbabwe and President Mbeki of South africa have taken offense to the testimony of Ms. Rice when she referred to Zimbabwe as an "Outpost of Tyranny". It is the position of the United States and others that these elections be free and fair, but these elections may not be.
These are some indications that there is a concerted effort to limit the free flow of information and to prepare for a crackdown after the official results are released. It also appears that instead of attacking London, the authorities are intent on blaming President Bush and his administration for the problems that plague Zimbabwe. Regional actors have been silent regarding the procedures for elections, so questions can be asked of them after the elections.
