Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2000 16:00:59 -0700
To: "Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List":;
From: Zimbabwe Crisis
Subject: ZimCrisis#67 -- Election Bulletin #3 -- MDC Reports and News Links
Cc: "Australian government":;, "British government":;,
"Canadian government":
;, "South African government":;,
"US government":;, Commonwealth:;, "NG organisations":;,
"African press":;, "Foreign press":;
Hi everyone,
Below are the reports from the MDC as of 9:30 and 11:00 am on the first day of polling. You can also read them at http://www.in2zw.com/mdc/statements/press/mdcpress0006240930.htm and http://www.in2zw.com/mdc/statements/press/mdcpress0006241100.htm . There is also a Sunday briefing by Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC at http://www.in2zw.com/mdc/statements/press/mdcpress000625.htm .
There are some good articles on The Daily News Web site at http://www.dailynews.co.zw , although dated June 23rd so there is nothing current there about the elections as I write this.
If you want an example of moronic reporting, check out the CNN story at http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/africa/06/25/zimbabwe.elections.01/index.html#3 where it claims a white farmer as saying that his biggest concern is the "war vets" on his farm getting drunk and stealing his chickens! Somehow I don't think that is really his biggest concern -- I'm assuming that the CNN reporter in this case is clueless.
There's also some good current stuff on the BBC Web site at http://news.bbc.co.uk . Apparently the Voice of America is also broadcasting a programme entitled "Zimbabwe Forum". Go to http://www.voa.gov for scheduling and frequency details, as well as Real Audio files.
Craig
ELECTION UPDATES
MDC Press
June 24, 2000
Reports to 9.30 am
Reports of massive intimidation were being received from around the country. They ranged
from:
- barricades being set up by war veterans and blocking or attacking polling agents;
- to international observers appearing not to know electoral law;
- to the abduction of polling agents;
- to polling agents not being allowed into booths;
- and many complaints about people who were on the original voters roll or supplementary rolls, not being on the roll today.
Problems with voter rolls reported from:
- Borrowdale,
- Harare East
- Craighie Polling Station has the wrong voters roll
- Mt Pleasant High was missing two voters rolls.
HARARE
HARARE EAST
- Chikurubi polling station not accepting receipts for the supplementary roll, telling people to return Sunday.
- Highlands School polling station - four local monitors ejected from the polling booth by the presiding officer just after international observers passed through.
- The constituency registrar was turning away transfers even though people were on the roll at Hatfield.
- Queensdale Polling station - all polling agents were pushed out and were told their accreditation was not valid until the MDC candidate arrived and ensured their re-admittance.
- OAU observers tried to disallow the MDC candidate from the Hatfield constituency.
HARARE NORTH
Sangononoyi Inn - Policeman refused to allow MDC candidate Trudy Stevenson (091-315289) into polling station and would not give his police force number.
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
BINDURA
ZanuPF truck is blocking the main road into Pinto Park, the polling station and not allowing anyone to go through.
CENTENARY
- Extensive intimidation of farm workers and farmers reported.
- Nyanmetsa Polling station - no MDC polling agents, 3 war vets inside polling station. Muzarabani constituency.
GURUVE SOUTH
- Bus in Victory Block attacked, 10 injured, one missing - Reported to police.
- Midvale Farm W/Vets camped at Gapwe/Dunavete.
- Dalston Farm 400 youths collected Friday night at Chinhamwe and were intimidating workers (Mark Hook 091-236491)
- Marijnara Farm Abductions of farm workers reported
HWEDZA
Peter Trigg, an election agent and polling agents were stopped at barricades on a farm and around 20 war veterans tried to pull them from their vehicle, they resisted and the car was pelted with stones and badly damaged. They managed to drive to a polling station and reported the incident to 4 police officers who did nothing. They left that polling station and encountered another barricade with around 15 war vets, they drove back to the polling station and this time police reinforcements came out.
MAZOE EAST
Hayshot farm - A Zanu PF truck with 13 Zanu PF youths followed his truck to polling station and forced them to turn around. The youths then proceeded to polling station and were threatening voters.
MASHONALAND WEST
ZVIMBA NORTH
Voters are being made to put ink on their fingers before their names are checked
MATABELELAND
BULAWAYO
- Dumiso Dabengwa, Minister of Home Affairs was not on the voters' roll but the Constituency Officer allowed him to vote; this privilege was also extended to MDC legal head, David Coltart who was also not on the voters' roll.
- No supplementary roll in many places, people with a receipt for re-registration are not allowed to vote because they are not on roll.
- At the Famona fire station, Bulawayo South, the international observers and police said people should be allowed to vote if they have a receipt, but generally this is not happening.
- Last night 10 people in Lobengula were beaten up and had their ID cards stolen by ZanuPF.
- Five MDC youths were abducted from homes in Lobengula West, were beaten up, then held in Block 59 Ndlovu's house and then released. A number of additional youths still being held. Police notified at Mpopoma police station.
COLLEEN BAWN
A policeman in that area has Tendai Buzi (016-284387)
----------
ELECTION UPDATES
MDC Press
June 24, 2000
Reports to 11.00 am
Zimbabweans flocked to the polls in villages, on farms and in the cities in their thousands. In most areas spirits were high and voters determined, but reports of intimidation continued to come into the MDC offices.
HARARE
HARARE EAST
Highlands Primary School - Fiona Makweko and Mercy Maseko complained that they waited in the queue for two and half hours, they then were told after putting their hands under the UV light that they had voted already. Their ID numbers were taken down and they were made to sign a document.
HARARE NORTH
Marlborough High School, (Mwvirimi 091-215622) Voters are being asked to hold up the ballot paper after they have made their cross, "so that the polling officer can check some number before the ballot paper is dropped into the box."
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
GURUVE SOUTH
Birkdale farm, War veterans are not allowing anyone to leave the farm. Farm workers are being forced to march through lines of war vets and ZanuPF youth. War vets are actually in the polling station (Alice: 091-408202)
Victory Block - Mrs Veldman, a farmer's wife was taking 35 labour down to Calston Park polling station when they were stopped by a group of ZanuPF supporters and told to go to Brandons Farm polling station. There a ZanuPF official who has led intimidation in the area for the past four months is now the ZanuPF polling agent in the booth. (091-353079 or 077219513)
MAZOWE
Glendale community hall - 30 to 40 apparently drunk people reported intimidating voters in the queue.
MASHONALAND EAST
MUREHWA
Peter Trigg (see 9.30 am bulletin) - his car has been taken from him, he escaped into the bush. He is now stranded at a primary school in the Murehwa area. (Caroline Trigg 091-303612)
MASHONALAND WEST
CHEGUTU
Philemon Matibe, MDC candidate said there were no "M's" at the Hartley 1 school. There were not supplementary voters rolls at all polling stations. ZanuPF youth were also putting up ZanuPF posters on polling station walls (contrary to the law). They could not find the constituency registrar to express their concerns.
MAKONDE
Endeavour farm - pages 1 to 40 of the voters roll are missing and voters are being turned away. Mobile booths are dotted around Umbowe and there is nothing in the Lion's Den area.
ZVIMBA
MDC candidate, Shepherd Mushonga (011-400-119) had just completed filling up his vehicle at a filling station in Chibihese when he says there was a loud explosion and the petrol pump blew up. Superintendent Ndele of the CID (091357187) called in the bomb squad. No-one was injured, and but for the petrol pump there was no additional damage.
Craig
Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List
http://www.niner.net/zimcrisis
This is currently a manually administered mailing list. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send your request to DELETED. Personal requests for removal will be carried out immediately. Requests from governmental, political or press organisations (or their representatives) will be treated less favourably. The purpose of this list is not necessarily to redistribute published news reports. Rather, it is intended to distribute reports from or directly affecting people in Zimbabwe. If you have seen something before, I apologise. Hopefully that will not be a regular occurrence.
Brief list of helpful sites on the issue:
- Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List Archives -- http://www.niner.net/zimcrisis
- Comprehensive news updates -- http://www.1freespace.com/beetee
- Offers of and requests for help for Zimbabweans -- http://pub9.ezboard.com/boffersofhelp
- Commercial Farmers' Union -- http://www.mweb.co.zw/cfu
- Movement for Democratic Change -- http://www.in2zw.com/mdc
- Zimbabwe Democracy Trust -- http://www.zimbabwedemocracytrust.org
- BSAP Pursuit of Zimbabwean Criminals -- http://www.bsaphq.f9.co.uk
To: "Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List":;
From: Zimbabwe Crisis
Subject: ZimCrisis#67 -- Election Bulletin #3 -- MDC Reports and News Links
Cc: "Australian government":;, "British government":;,
"Canadian government":
;, "South African government":;,
"US government":;, Commonwealth:;, "NG organisations":;,
"African press":;, "Foreign press":;
Hi everyone,
Below are the reports from the MDC as of 9:30 and 11:00 am on the first day of polling. You can also read them at http://www.in2zw.com/mdc/statements/press/mdcpress0006240930.htm and http://www.in2zw.com/mdc/statements/press/mdcpress0006241100.htm . There is also a Sunday briefing by Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC at http://www.in2zw.com/mdc/statements/press/mdcpress000625.htm .
There are some good articles on The Daily News Web site at http://www.dailynews.co.zw , although dated June 23rd so there is nothing current there about the elections as I write this.
If you want an example of moronic reporting, check out the CNN story at http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/africa/06/25/zimbabwe.elections.01/index.html#3 where it claims a white farmer as saying that his biggest concern is the "war vets" on his farm getting drunk and stealing his chickens! Somehow I don't think that is really his biggest concern -- I'm assuming that the CNN reporter in this case is clueless.
There's also some good current stuff on the BBC Web site at http://news.bbc.co.uk . Apparently the Voice of America is also broadcasting a programme entitled "Zimbabwe Forum". Go to http://www.voa.gov for scheduling and frequency details, as well as Real Audio files.
Craig
ELECTION UPDATES
MDC Press
June 24, 2000
Reports to 9.30 am
Reports of massive intimidation were being received from around the country. They ranged
from:
- barricades being set up by war veterans and blocking or attacking polling agents;
- to international observers appearing not to know electoral law;
- to the abduction of polling agents;
- to polling agents not being allowed into booths;
- and many complaints about people who were on the original voters roll or supplementary rolls, not being on the roll today.
Problems with voter rolls reported from:
- Borrowdale,
- Harare East
- Craighie Polling Station has the wrong voters roll
- Mt Pleasant High was missing two voters rolls.
HARARE
HARARE EAST
- Chikurubi polling station not accepting receipts for the supplementary roll, telling people to return Sunday.
- Highlands School polling station - four local monitors ejected from the polling booth by the presiding officer just after international observers passed through.
- The constituency registrar was turning away transfers even though people were on the roll at Hatfield.
- Queensdale Polling station - all polling agents were pushed out and were told their accreditation was not valid until the MDC candidate arrived and ensured their re-admittance.
- OAU observers tried to disallow the MDC candidate from the Hatfield constituency.
HARARE NORTH
Sangononoyi Inn - Policeman refused to allow MDC candidate Trudy Stevenson (091-315289) into polling station and would not give his police force number.
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
BINDURA
ZanuPF truck is blocking the main road into Pinto Park, the polling station and not allowing anyone to go through.
CENTENARY
- Extensive intimidation of farm workers and farmers reported.
- Nyanmetsa Polling station - no MDC polling agents, 3 war vets inside polling station. Muzarabani constituency.
GURUVE SOUTH
- Bus in Victory Block attacked, 10 injured, one missing - Reported to police.
- Midvale Farm W/Vets camped at Gapwe/Dunavete.
- Dalston Farm 400 youths collected Friday night at Chinhamwe and were intimidating workers (Mark Hook 091-236491)
- Marijnara Farm Abductions of farm workers reported
HWEDZA
Peter Trigg, an election agent and polling agents were stopped at barricades on a farm and around 20 war veterans tried to pull them from their vehicle, they resisted and the car was pelted with stones and badly damaged. They managed to drive to a polling station and reported the incident to 4 police officers who did nothing. They left that polling station and encountered another barricade with around 15 war vets, they drove back to the polling station and this time police reinforcements came out.
MAZOE EAST
Hayshot farm - A Zanu PF truck with 13 Zanu PF youths followed his truck to polling station and forced them to turn around. The youths then proceeded to polling station and were threatening voters.
MASHONALAND WEST
ZVIMBA NORTH
Voters are being made to put ink on their fingers before their names are checked
MATABELELAND
BULAWAYO
- Dumiso Dabengwa, Minister of Home Affairs was not on the voters' roll but the Constituency Officer allowed him to vote; this privilege was also extended to MDC legal head, David Coltart who was also not on the voters' roll.
- No supplementary roll in many places, people with a receipt for re-registration are not allowed to vote because they are not on roll.
- At the Famona fire station, Bulawayo South, the international observers and police said people should be allowed to vote if they have a receipt, but generally this is not happening.
- Last night 10 people in Lobengula were beaten up and had their ID cards stolen by ZanuPF.
- Five MDC youths were abducted from homes in Lobengula West, were beaten up, then held in Block 59 Ndlovu's house and then released. A number of additional youths still being held. Police notified at Mpopoma police station.
COLLEEN BAWN
A policeman in that area has Tendai Buzi (016-284387)
----------
ELECTION UPDATES
MDC Press
June 24, 2000
Reports to 11.00 am
Zimbabweans flocked to the polls in villages, on farms and in the cities in their thousands. In most areas spirits were high and voters determined, but reports of intimidation continued to come into the MDC offices.
HARARE
HARARE EAST
Highlands Primary School - Fiona Makweko and Mercy Maseko complained that they waited in the queue for two and half hours, they then were told after putting their hands under the UV light that they had voted already. Their ID numbers were taken down and they were made to sign a document.
HARARE NORTH
Marlborough High School, (Mwvirimi 091-215622) Voters are being asked to hold up the ballot paper after they have made their cross, "so that the polling officer can check some number before the ballot paper is dropped into the box."
MASHONALAND CENTRAL
GURUVE SOUTH
Birkdale farm, War veterans are not allowing anyone to leave the farm. Farm workers are being forced to march through lines of war vets and ZanuPF youth. War vets are actually in the polling station (Alice: 091-408202)
Victory Block - Mrs Veldman, a farmer's wife was taking 35 labour down to Calston Park polling station when they were stopped by a group of ZanuPF supporters and told to go to Brandons Farm polling station. There a ZanuPF official who has led intimidation in the area for the past four months is now the ZanuPF polling agent in the booth. (091-353079 or 077219513)
MAZOWE
Glendale community hall - 30 to 40 apparently drunk people reported intimidating voters in the queue.
MASHONALAND EAST
MUREHWA
Peter Trigg (see 9.30 am bulletin) - his car has been taken from him, he escaped into the bush. He is now stranded at a primary school in the Murehwa area. (Caroline Trigg 091-303612)
MASHONALAND WEST
CHEGUTU
Philemon Matibe, MDC candidate said there were no "M's" at the Hartley 1 school. There were not supplementary voters rolls at all polling stations. ZanuPF youth were also putting up ZanuPF posters on polling station walls (contrary to the law). They could not find the constituency registrar to express their concerns.
MAKONDE
Endeavour farm - pages 1 to 40 of the voters roll are missing and voters are being turned away. Mobile booths are dotted around Umbowe and there is nothing in the Lion's Den area.
ZVIMBA
MDC candidate, Shepherd Mushonga (011-400-119) had just completed filling up his vehicle at a filling station in Chibihese when he says there was a loud explosion and the petrol pump blew up. Superintendent Ndele of the CID (091357187) called in the bomb squad. No-one was injured, and but for the petrol pump there was no additional damage.
Craig
Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List
http://www.niner.net/zimcrisis
This is currently a manually administered mailing list. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send your request to DELETED. Personal requests for removal will be carried out immediately. Requests from governmental, political or press organisations (or their representatives) will be treated less favourably. The purpose of this list is not necessarily to redistribute published news reports. Rather, it is intended to distribute reports from or directly affecting people in Zimbabwe. If you have seen something before, I apologise. Hopefully that will not be a regular occurrence.
Brief list of helpful sites on the issue:
- Zimbabwe Crisis Mailing List Archives -- http://www.niner.net/zimcrisis
- Comprehensive news updates -- http://www.1freespace.com/beetee
- Offers of and requests for help for Zimbabweans -- http://pub9.ezboard.com/boffersofhelp
- Commercial Farmers' Union -- http://www.mweb.co.zw/cfu
- Movement for Democratic Change -- http://www.in2zw.com/mdc
- Zimbabwe Democracy Trust -- http://www.zimbabwedemocracytrust.org
- BSAP Pursuit of Zimbabwean Criminals -- http://www.bsaphq.f9.co.uk
