Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Harare (Agenzia Fides) - Zimbabwe remains in uncertainty as word of the March 29 general election results “trickles out” from the electoral commission (see Fides 31/3/2008).
Of the 109 of the 210 seats already accounted for, 56 have been occupied by the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), while 53 have been won by the Presidential party of Robert Mugabe (ZANU-PF). No official results for presidential elections has been released yet and it is becoming a cause of concern on both a national and international level, provoking suspicions of election fraud. The MDC announced that according to their tallying, their leader Tsvangirai had secured 60 percent of votes against 30 for Mugabe in the presidential race.
“The suspicion of fraud has its grounds, so much so that even before elections, a great percentage of the population had already lost hope, saying that they already knew how the elections would turn out,” Agenzia Fides was told by Fr. Robert Althann, a Jesuit who has been working many years in Zimbabwe. “In addition to the electoral debate, that has its importance, the country is divided against itself, especially between the urban and rural areas. In order to understand the conflict, we have to focus on the problem of land distribution, the source of the country’s current economic crisis. When Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980, it was obvious that sooner or later they would have to face the question of the distribution of lands that had belonged to European colonies. For nearly 20 years, no one knew how to face the problem, or at least no one wanted to face it. Later, as economic difficulties began to arise in the rural areas, a generalized movement among the people began, with the intention that these lands would be distributed among people of African descent. The government supported the will of the people, but without taking into account the economic consequences of the decision. Without adequate preparation, the handing-over of properties has aggravated the crisis and practically destroyed the agriculture system. Mugabe, in his power, has given lands to those who support him, namely the veterans from the war for national freedom, in an attempt to secure the greatest number of votes possible in his campaign. On the vigil of elections, for example, seeds and basic materials are distributed among the citizens, in efforts to secure the general consensus in favor of the President. The city’s population, however, has suffered more serious consequences in the current crisis: an inflation rate that is out of control, skyrocketing taxes, and a shortage of basic materials.”
“There are also conflicts between the minority that live in Matabiland, which was strongly affected by Mugabe’s police repression in the early 80s, and the rest of the population that is mainly of Shona ethnicity and is itself divided into various sub-groups,” the Jesuit explained. “In conclusion, I think that whoever the new President turns out to be, will not only have to face the serious economic crisis, but will also have to work to restore relations between the various groups within Zimbabwean society. I also hope that South Africa, which also shares Zimbabwe’s problems of land and wealth distribution, will not fall into the same mistakes as their neighbor,” Fr. Althann concluded. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 1/4/2008; righe 42, parole 543)
