Zimbabweans Fear Mugabe's Fight For Power

Armed Guards Prevent Opposition From Entering High Court To Demand Release Of Election Results

(AP)  Zimbabwe's opposition leader says he fears that President Robert Mugabe is preparing a "war against the people" in an attempt to hold on to power.

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai has told a news conference that his party is reluctant to take part in an election runoff because of the growing risks of violence.

Earlier today, armed police prevented opposition lawyers from entering Zimbabwe's High Court to lodge an urgent suit aiming to force the publication of presidential election results.

Opposition lawyer Alec Muchadehama said a senior police officer wearing a ruling ZANU-PF shirt gave the orders, amid increasing signs of a clampdown.

"No one is going to enter. They say they are going to call the riot police," Muchadehama said. Journalists waiting outside the court also were ordered to disperse.

The Movement for Democratic Change wanted the High Court to force the electoral commission to publish results of the March 29 presidential election.

The opposition will mount a new bid in the High Court on Sunday for the election results to be published.

Official results for the parliamentary elections showed the ruling party lost its majority in the 110-seat parliament. Independent observers projected that MDC candidate Tsvangirai won most of the votes cast in the presidential contest but not enough for an outright victory over longtime ruler Robert Mugabe.

The ruling ZANU-PF party announced Friday it was endorsing Mugabe, whose 28-year rule led Zimbabwe from liberation to ruin, in a runoff election.

Earlier, the opposition asked the United Nations to intervene during the runoff campaign over fears that Mugabe, 84, may stage a violent crackdown to retain power.

London's Guardian newspaper reported that Mugabe's aides said he is prepared to give up power in return for immunity from prosecution for past crimes, but that if opposition leaders do not agree, then Mugabe may declare emergency rule.

Nelson Chamisa, spokesman for the opposition, pointed to signs of a coming clampdown, including a march in Harare by war veterans loyal to Mugabe who have beat up opponents in the past, a raid on opposition party offices and the detention of foreign journalists by armed police in full riot gear.

"They are trying to intimidate people, they are trying to set up the context for unleashing violence. The vampire instincts of this regime are definitely going to come out," Chamisa charged.

Zimbabwe needs the assistance of the international community, he said.

"The U.N. has to make sure that there is no violence in this country. ... They should not (wait to) come when there is blood in the street, blood in the villages."

But South African President Thabo Mbeki said Saturday that international intervention is not needed.

"I think it is time to wait. Let's see the outcome of the election results. If there is a re-run of the presidential election let us see what comes out of that," Mbeki said.

Mugabe has ruled since his guerrilla army helped bring about an independent Zimbabwe in 1980. His popularity has been battered by an economic slide that followed the often-violent seizures of white-owned commercial farms since 2000. A third of the population has fled the country, 80 percent of those who remain are jobless and inflation is more than 100,000 percent.

Chamisa said he expected the court to answer its petition for the election results immediately in Saturday morning's hearing, but he was not hopeful of the outcome.

Zimbabwe's courts are stacked with Mugabe sympathizers who have delayed hearing opposition challenges to results of 2002 and 2005 elections that international observers said were marked by fraud and intimidation.

The U.S. and other Western nations also have been pressing for the presidential results to be announced.

The law requires a runoff within 21 days of the first elections. But diplomats in Harare and at the United Nations said Mugabe was planning to declare a 90-day delay to give security forces time to clamp down.

An African Union election observer team found no evidence of fraud during voting last weekend, according to the delegation's leader, former Sierra Leone president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.

Kabbah praised Mugabe as "a patriot," and said during a meeting Thursday that the Zimbabwe leader was "relaxed" despite his setback at the polls.

New York Times journalist Barry Bearak was among those detained Thursday by heavily armed riot police who surrounded and entered a Harare hotel frequented by foreign reporters, lawyers said. The U.S.-based National Democratic Institute said one of its staff, American Dileepan Sivapathasundaram, was detained at Harare's airport as he tried to leave the country Thursday.

The government had rejected most foreign journalists' applications to cover the elections and had barred Western election observers.

Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said the attorney general decided there was no case against the two Americans and a third person who was not identified. However, police decided to hold them. It was not clear whether new charges would be filed.

State Department Tom Casey said four Americans were detained Thursday, but two had been released and were leaving the country. He told reporters Friday that U.S. officials had been in contact with the two Americans still in custody.

[jt_lancer]

Tyranny of the State always compromises the liberties of its citizenry.

[louiville2]

And by the way, according to a 1860 census 98.5% of whites at the height of slavery did NOT own slaves. Conversely in the south 28% of free blacks owned slaves so when given a chance BLACK%u2019S were by far the largest slaves owners. But hey why let facts get in the way of a good story. So miles Brown get a life.

[louiville2]

Milebrown49 you mean the Xhosea who allowed the Dutch to establish a trading/way station port then when the Xhosea became jealous of the Dutch attached the Dutch who bravely defended themselves. The Xhosea lost and the Dutch took more land which caused the Xhosea to attack which caused the Xhosea to lose which caused the Dutch to take more land. Which caused the Xhosea to attack which caused the Xhosea to lose which caused the Dutch to take more land. Which caused the Xhosea to attack which caused the Xhosea to lose which caused the Dutch to take more land. Which caused the Xhosea to attack which caused the Xhosea to lose which caused the Dutch to take more land. Nine times, you would think they would have given up earlier W.C. Field said %u201CIf at first you don%u2019t succeed try, try, again then give up no sense being a fool about it%u201D. Then the Xhosea turned to believing a prophecy from a 16 year old who claimed that if they killed their own cattle and burned their own grain that the whites would be blown into the ocean and their cattle would be replaced by new better ones. That stupidity cost about 80,000 lives from famine and guess who came in to provide food etc... them evil white people.

I''m sure the Zulu killed more people then the whites ever thought of.

Kind of see Darwin at work here? The whites were always out numbered.

[louiville2]

By the way milebrown49 I''m about half Native American and we don''t wallow in self pity like you. Thats what you get for making assumptions.

[louiville2]

So milesbrown you''re into "human sacrifices which "included the killing of an innocent child and plucking out the heart, which was divided into pieces for us to eat." of Joshua Blahyi type who bragged killing 20,000 people or Charles Taylor who told his followers to eat the people they murdered.

[milesbrown49]

No, its the Xhosea story in South Africa. That hurts the most. The story of the American Slave Trade is a good one too. But then there''s the horror stories of the Native Americans there too. No louiville2, I know very well of your madness, and that''s why I say back in the ropes!!!

[milesbrown49]

louiville2: There you go lying again. I never said South Africa was the birth of anything, however, I can belive the likes of you was banished out from Africa and "Enroped" in "Europe" many years ago and told the world was flat so don''t come back. I used to think that was a lot of racist gargage, but I can believe it now!!

[milesbrown49]

louiville2: And both Charles Taylor and Joshua Blahyi are probably better company without you as well. I''ll take it!! Go home!!!

[louiville2]

I%u2019ll bet the %u201CBattle of Blood River%u201D in 1838 really boils you%u2019re blood when %u201C10,000-20,000%u201D Zulu attacked 470 White %u201CTrekkers%u201D. The Zulu, 3,000 men died many more casualties to 3 wounded white Trekkers, and the rest is history.

[louiville2]

Isn''t it amazing the you obviously know little of the history of Southern Africa. Since you have previously post that Africa is the birth of civilization sounds to me that the white man is just coming home.

[louiville2]

milesbrown49

And you are where? Go on back to Africa you and Charles Taylor, Joshua Blahyi should have alot in common.

[milesbrown49]

louiville2: You said "Under the Independence Constitution, 20% of seats in the country''''s parliament were reserved for whites."

The whites are only less than 10% of the population, in America blacks are near 15% of the population, lets reserve 30% of the Senate seats for them!!

The white people of Zimbabwe are arogant idiots. They deserve complete exile. Go back to Europe!!!!

[louiville2]

This is what Mugabe agreed to under the Lanchaster House Agreement. Just another sign he can''t be trusted.


In concluding this agreement and signing this report the parties undertook:

to accept the authority of the Governor;
to abide by the Independence Constitution;
to comply with the pre-independence arrangements;
to abide by the cease-fire agreement;
to campaign peacefully and without intimidation;
to renounce the use of force for political ends;
to accept the outcome of the elections and instruct any forces under their authority to do the same.
Under the Independence Constitution, 20% of seats in the country''s parliament were reserved for whites.

[louiville2]

Robert Mugabe quotes, kind of says it all. He sure talks out of both sides of his face.

"We are not hungry... Why foist this food upon us? We don''t want to be choked. We have enough."

"Our votes must go together with our guns. After all, any vote we shall have, shall have been the product of the gun. The gun which produces the vote should remain its security officer - its guarantor. The people''s votes and the people''s guns are always inseparable twins."

"It may be necessary to use methods other than constitutional ones."

"The only white man you can trust is a dead white man."

"I wish to assure you that there can never be any return to the state of armed conflict which existed before our commitment to peace and the democratic process of election under the Lancaster House agreement."

[milesbrown49]

Ekperi: I can understand your comment and wonder only wonder if the MDC is that option to Mugabe. I too believe that Mugabe is sincere and had carried Zimbabwe through its legal and moral crises with the white minority, but is not equiped to carry Zimbabwe through its financial and construtive crisis. The problem at hand is that it is rare to find someone strong enough to resist the lure of those who have some sort of eminiate need to control Africa''s rich resources. The history of Africa has shown that every time a man arises with that strength and sincerity, those evil forces strikes at him hard and criminalizes him. It has been amazing to me how monsters are able to portray a good man evil while makeing themselves look righteous. I feel suspect of the MDC because I sat right hear and watched them try to insight trouble in Zimbabwe. I saw them enlist the ways of the evil ones and recongnized it. I do not think this is the correct replacment for Mugabe, but I do know there has to be change!!

[milesbrown49]

shirk3: How could you even utter such words as stole the land from white farmers. You people steal, steal, steal and lie, lie, lie all day. The decision to redistribute the land was based of the original and unlawful theft of the land by the white farmers. How do you steal your stolen property? Get out of Africa and go back to Europe!!!

[shirk3-2009]

The issue of land ownership is central to Zimbabwe''''s independence and say what you may a situation where less than 10% of the population "own" over 90% of the land was absolutely unacceptable.

No. Starvation is unacceptable.

[ekperi-2009]

The issue of land ownership is central to Zimbabwe''s independence and say what you may a situation where less than 10% of the population "own" over 90% of the land was absolutely unacceptable. Though the brutality and the haphazard manner that occasioned the takeover by Mugabe is not defensible but it will be crazy to return the lands to white owners whether or not Mugabe retains power. The issue at hand now is that the people of Zimbabwe have indicated a desire to have another person to replace Mugabe. He should honour the outcome of the elections and go peacefully. This does not imply that the new man will be a stooge of the US and the UK.

[shirk3-2009]

Mugabe''s land redistribution was simply that he stole the land from the white farmers and gave it to his cronies.

None of the "Africans" on this forum care that these are still stolen lands, so long as it''s stolen from white people.
The minute that you bring up that the farms that were once productive are now unproductive, all you get is a chorus of "we need more time, help us help us", and other annoying excuses.Mugabe and his henchmen should have thought of that before the re distribution, but it''s easier to blame whitey, right?

I also love the fact that neither this channel, nor CNN bother to run the story that happened on Sunday, where Mugabes people "took back" (as if it were ever theirs in the first place) more white owned farms.

Look for a)more African blood to be spilled folowed by another round of b) starvation.

[ekperi-2009]

The crises in Zimbabwe is not just about race. As an African I supported the liberation struggle and Iam proud of what Mugabe, Nkomo and the others achieved. I also have not problem with the land redistribution scheme though it could be better handled.However the Zimbabwe economy is in shambles, Mugabe has been in power for 28 years and does not seem to have the ability to handle the issues. If we all ignore the normal self serving attitude of the western world (US and UK especially), most objective observers will agree that it is time for Mugabe to step down and allow better hands to restore the nation.