Among the complex questions in Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem's Pan-African Postcard WHAT KIND OF POLITICAL CHANGE? one has a clear answer [http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/47413].
He asks: "Is it not clear that they (Zanu-pf & Mugabe) are preparing for the rerun while the opposition is shuttling between the court and diplomatic capitals? I am not quite sure if the MDC will achieve anything by choosing this course. Why can't they just go for the rerun and humiliate the Old man?"
Answer: Yes, it's clear. Zanu-pf, Mugabe and the military are preparing for a 're-run' because they are the only ones who know there will be
a re-run AFTER the recount. They have now had 2 weeks to doctor the ballot boxes to suit that purpose. The MDC wants the existing results from the
polling stations to be announced first so everyone will have confirmed what they know already which is that Tsvangirai won the Presidency.
The Reason the MDC don't want a run-off or a re-run is bcause: (a) they won and (b) brutal violence will be used by Mugabe and co. in their 'campaign' to 'win' the re-run. This is already happening. See reports of violent retribution of MDC voters in areas where Zanu-pf lost their previous stranglehold (Reports by Zimbabwe Peace Project, Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights etc.)
Why do we need to constantly prove and re-prove to the world that Mugabe uses violence? Haven't we already seen it? Why do people defend him by denying it? Why do citizens have to be beaten into a pulp - again? On 29 March they peacefully used their civil right to chose their president. What gives Mugabe and the military the right to deny the people the results of that vote and demand a re-run?
As Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem's advisor Thomas Deve says:" the opposition may
be more vulnerable than everyone is predicting if there is a run off." That is: Vulnerable to being beaten with sticks and stones, bloodied and tortured,
hands broken so they cannot write the X on the ballot paper even if they dare to come out to vote! How many times do people have to vote before their voices are respected?
Change is hard to accept, but Pan-Africanists especially need to clear away old 'treasures' that have gone wrong, to see and acknowledge reality before too many more people have died.
Farai Kashiri
