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The old man still holds all the aces
Charles Molele, The Times, SA
March 25, 2008

http://exchangehere.net/burma/2008/03/24/the-old-man-still-holds-all-the-aces/

"Let's not kid ourselves, dude. The old man is going to win - hands down."

These are the words of Mukhahuru (not his real name), a 24-year-old Zimbabwean I met at the Circus nightclub in Harare on Friday night.

South African kwaito star DJ S'bu Leope was performing and the club was packed until the early hours.

The young people at the club didn't seem too concerned that their country would be heading for the polls next weekend.

When I suggested to Mukhahuru that people should not be willing to give up their freedom and civil liberties as easily as that, he said: "We are a resilient people."

Yesterday, the Sunday Times, which has been banned from entering Zimbabwe, sneaked into one of President Robert Mugabe's rallies in Chitungwiza, 30km north of Harare.

Thousands of Zanu-PF supporters, young and old, sang chimurenga (freedom) songs as they toyi-toyied at Chibuku Stadium, where Mugabe was scheduled to speak.

Security forces were everywhere , conducting random searches in and around the township before the old man arrived.

Every person entering the stadium was searched at least three times.

Mugabe's supporters threatened to root out unaccredited journalists and Western collaborators.

Concerned for our safety, we left the stadium to board a hastily booked flight back to Johannesburg.

We had spent a week in the country, dodging secret police and plain- clothes members of the government's Central Intelligence Organisation.

Despite Mukhahuru's apparent fatalism, we found that the election was the hottest topic in Zimbabwe. On the streets, in the pubs and hotel lobbies, they're asking: "What will put an end to Mugabe's presidency?"

Across the country, thousands of people, dressed in T-shirts bearing images of their preferred presidential candidates, could be seen in trucks and buses on their way to rallies. There were posters at every corner, on walls and shops - also on cars and taxis.

Support for Simba Makoni, an independent presidential candidate who has formed an alliance with Arthur Mutamabara's branch of the Movement for Democratic Change, appeared to be widespread.

But some questioned his bona fides, wondering whether he is an agent of the Zanu-PF establishment, seeking to further divide the ever- growing support base of Mugabe's opposition in urban centres.

However, his supporters described him as a breath of fresh air, asserting that he would make a great president.

They pointed to his service in Mugabe's government as finance minister, before he was forced to resign in 2002, after clashing with the president over the devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar.

James Moshonga, assistant manager of a textile company in Kadoma, 133km from Harare, wants to see change in Zimbabwe and thinks Makoni is the right candidate to usher in economic and social reforms.

"I hope God can intervene this time around and bring change," the 36- year-old told the Sunday Times.

Pressed to explain, he said God could make people vote for the right candidate. "Simba is the right candidate. He's educated and experienced in governance. He can bring fundamental changes to our lives."

While sipping Scotch at one of Harare' s watering holes, 42-year-old MDC supporter Patrick Chiwenga said Makoni would be embarrassed at the polls.

"The truth is he is not drawing enough crowds to his rallies. He is unlikely to receive more than 10% of the vote . Comrade Morgan Tsvangirai is Mugabe's biggest challenger," said Chiwenga. After Mugabe, Tsvangirai commands the biggest crowds. Whether this will translate into votes is another story altogether.

But while election posters of different presidential candidates are everywhere, the opposition is not getting fair coverage in the state- owned media.

Foreign journalists have been banned from covering the elections, which has prompted questions about whether the poll will be free and fair.

Although there was high excitement about the elections, I found Zimbabweans to be conscious of their society's problems yet fearful of expressing anger at their situation - like, for example, the people of Burma, Tibet or Kenya.

They know what is expected of them but are burdened by personal struggles for survival, like where to get money for the next meal - or for bus fare.

From Victoria Falls, Hwange, Bulawayo and Gweru to Kwekwe, Chigutu and Chitungwiza, our trip was an encounter with humiliation.

The effects of Mugabe's madness stared at us from bare supermarket shelves, where basic commodities were mostly unavailable. If available, they were hideously expensive.

Unemployment is rife, and just one in five people is formally employed.

Those without any hope of getting a job have become traders, selling oil or exchanging money on the black market.

Most buildings are dilapidated, some covered with moss and decaying in the relentless heat.

Functioning hospitals, running water and garbage services are but a distant memory.

During much of the week the country was plunged into darkness as a result of electricity shortages.

The blackouts affected cellphones and the Internet was down. It is impossible to make a call to a cellphone outside Zimbabwe.

The country's once-paved roads are in such a state of disrepair that it is difficult to negotiate your way around some potholes, which are as wide as 48cm wheels.

The prospect of change for poor Zimbabweans appears to be nothing more than a distant dream.

Meanwhile, Mugabe is gearing up for a sixth term as president, crisscrossing the country, dishing out tractors and buses - and, of course, promising farms to the faithful.

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