Concerns mount over violence in Zim
Bathandwa Mbola
8 May 2008
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has expressed concern over incidents of violence in Zimbabwe, while South African President Thabo Mbeki had sent an eight-member team to establish the extent of the violence, as the post-election impasse in that country continues.
A media briefing was held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday on the SADC's involvement on the verification process Zimbabwe's elections, which have been marked by controversy.
The head of South Africa's delegation to the SADC election observer team, Kingsley Mamabolo, said that both the ruling Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) parties were blaming each other for the violence.
"We have seen it, there are people in hospital who said they have been tortured," Mamabolo said of their visit to Zimbabwe, adding that there had also been pictures in the media of houses that had been destroyed.
According to media reports, teachers and aid workers have been intimidated, leading to education and basic care for thousands across Zimbabwe being disrupted. More than 2 700 learners are reported to have fled or been evicted from classrooms, while dozens of schools have been closed.
After more than a month's delay, Zimbabwe's election authorities last week announced the outcome of the presidential election. The results revealed that there was no outright winner, and it has not been made clear if a run-off election will be held.
The MDC's Morgan Tsvangirai garnered 47.9 percent of total votes cast (1 195 562 votes), followed by Zanu-PF's Robert Mugabe with 43.2 percent or 1 079 730 votes.
Independent candidates Simba Makoni and Langton Towungana garnered 8.3 percent or 207 470 votes and 0.6 percent or 14 503 votes respectively. There were 39 975 spoilt papers, with the percentage poll standing at 42.7 percent.
The Zimbabwe Election Commission announced that a presidential run-off should be held since no candidate had secured an outright majority of 51 percent or more.
However, Mamabolo said a run-off election could not take place in the current atmosphere of violence. "You cannot have the next round taking place in this atmosphere; it will not be helpful, it will create a whole lot of problems," he said.
Mamabolo revealed that South African President Thabo Mbeki had sent an eight-member delegation to Zimbabwe on Sunday to talk to people on the ground, and to the government and the MDC, to establish the situation and the extent of the violence.
The team will report back to Mbeki and make recommendations on what could be done to address the violence, Mamabolo said.
Source: BuaNews
