Cathy Buckle's Weekly Letter From Zimbabwe !

Dear Family and Friends,

As we stand exhausted and betrayed at this critical moment in Zimbabwe's crisis, it seems pertinent to look back over the last few days and record who said what.On the 29th March shortly after casting his ballot Mr Mugabe said: "We are not in the habit of rigging...
We don't rig elections. I cannot sleep withmy conscience if I have rigged,"

On the 29th March, sure that Zanu PF would win the elections, Mr Mugabesaid: "We will succeed. We will conquer. Why should I cheat? The people are there supporting us. The moment the people stop supporting you, then that's the moment you should quit politics."

On the 29th March asked if he would participate in a run off Presidential election should the result not be decisive, Mr Mugabe dismissed the suggestion and said: "We are not in the habit of boxing matches here. We knock each other out in the first round.

"In an evening press conference on the 1st April MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai said: "Zimbabwe will never be the same again; the people have spoken with one voice. I would like to thank the millions who came to reclaim their dignity and invest in the change they can trust."

In the evening of the 1st April the world media went into a frenzy and reported that a deal had been done and Mr Mugabe was about to step down.The news didn't last long and a CNN reporter said: "What's clear is that nothing is clear."

On the 2nd April at a press conference MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti announced election results based on figures displayed as public notices outside polling stations. Biti said: "Zanu PF have lost this election. Morgan Richard Tsvangirai is the next president of Zimbabwe."

On the 3rd April, long before the results of the Presidential election had been announced, Deputy Minister of Information Bright Matonga said: "ZanuPF is ready for a run-off, we are ready for a resulting victory. ... we only applied 25 per cent of our energy into this campaign... we are going to unleash the other 75 per cent that we did not apply in the first case."

On the 3rd April the former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said:"If he (Mr Mugabe) wants to come here, the (Malaysian) government should welcome him. If he has lost, he has to accept the decision of the people,that is the best thing he can do."

On the 4th of April, before the results of the Presidential election had been announced, Zanu PF Secretary Didymus Mutasa confirmed that Mr Mugabe would contest in a re-run. He said: "We are down but not out. Absolutely the candidate will be Robert Gabriel Mugabe - who else would it be other than our dear old man?"

On the 4th April, hinting at what will inevitably be the slogan if there is re-run of the election, war veteran leader Jabulani Sibanda said: "It now looks like these elections were a way to open for the reinvasion of this country [by the British]."

And so now we wait. We thought our poor broken country had suffered enough and that at last our prayers had been answered - it seems not - not yet.

Until next time, thanks for reading,
love cathy.

Copyright cathy buckle 5thApril 2008.www.cathybuckle.comMy books: "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available in South Africafrom: books@clarkesbooks.co.za and in the UK from: orders@africabookcentre.com