Something's Rotten In The State of Zimbabwe

Like all good democratic societies the vote was cast, totted up and the result celebrated. Only something went amiss in this particular society of democratic zealotry that pre-determined what the result would be.

The electoral commission, the military, the national police, all conspired to do their duty by their motherland, and return to unquestioned authority the singular individual who has graciously benefited their lives - and impoverished the huge balance of Zimbabwe's society.

The rot may have set in, inflation spiralled heavenward, the necessities of life become unattainable but for the fortunate few, unemployment sent into the stratosphere, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome sky-rocketed with it, but too many have too much to lose - notably through the justice system - to surrender their tenuous hold on power.

Rumour had it that the redoubtable Robert Mugabe had been persuaded by his family to resign, post-election. And that he has been held hostage by the very military and police that he put in place to hold Zimbabwean society in hostage to his aggrandizement and their greed. One doubts it.

Mr. Mugabe needs no coercive action to persuade him of the vital importance of his enlightened imperial rule for the country's future. And with the ongoing support and encouragement of elder statesman President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, he knows his place. And his place was to dispatch Zanu-PF militants to visit reprisals against those who voted for the MDC.

Two weeks after the election, no numbers have been revealed. Mind, The Movement for Democratic Change has released numbers; that they won 109 of the 210 seats in the house of assembly, with Zanu-PF still in possession of 97. Clearly impossible.

Yet a co-author of Zimbabwe's electoral law has stated:"Z[imbabwe]E[lectoral]C[ommission] is acting in collusion with Zanu-PF, and if they think any of us believe them when they are a gang of fraudsters they can go to hell. They have custody of the ballot boxes and so what guarantee have we got they didn't go back and tamper with the ballots?

"Clearly they have opened these boxes and put ballots in there. So the outcome of the recount is a foregone conclusion." Yes, yes it most certainly is. Most particularly so, since a member of the ZEC recounted, after hastily departing Zimbabwe, that this is precisely what he himself witnessed.

"Morgan Tsvangirai won a clear majority - that is why the results have not been released."

Clearly so, there would be no other reason. But the ZEC chairman bristles at the very suggestion, drawing himself up to height and countering darkly: "Are you calling me a liar?" in response to a reporter's query. Liar, liar, pants on fire, nose as long as a chimney wire. Do they know that one in Zimbabwe?

At least, unlike what occurred in Kenya, one knows that Morgan Tsvangirai has no intention of persuading the country's disaffected, unemployed, starving, perilously ill - all supporters of the opposition, to go on a murderous rampage to demonstrate their umbrage.

That is the kind of restraint demonstrative of responsibility and civility, reflective of a mature politician, a decent human being, a resolute leader in waiting.

Zambia's president is regaining the courage he demonstrated last year when he named Zimbabwe "a sinking Titanic". Zimbabwe's neighbouring Southern African states have timorously asked for an "expeditious" release of the presidential voting results.

Waiting, waiting ....