Paramilitaries Surround Harare Hotel - Zimbabwe

*BREAKING* Paramilitaries Surround Harare Hotel - Zimbabwe

news.sky.com

Paramilitary police have surrounded a hotel popular with foreign journalists in the Zimbabwean capital Harare as the country awaits results from a tense presidential vote.
A man who answered the phone at the hotel said about 30 of the officers entered the hotel and were preparing to take away four or five reporters.

Earlier, Robert Mugabe's ruling party vowed to continue fighting for power in Zimbabwe - declaring "the game is still on, there is no panic".

(visit the link for the full news article)


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Mod edit: removed the word *BREAKING* in title.

[edit on 4/4/2008 by Gools]

Did anyone really think he'd just go quietly?

The prelude to violence in Zimbabwe is always getting rid of any journalists/witnesses.

The despot of Africa is not going to give in easily.

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by budski


The Zimbabwean Politburo are meeting tomorrow to "discuss" the election.

The President has sweeping powers.

It certainly seems that whatever is going to happen, the army, which supports Mugabe, appear determined to keep a tight control on things.

If Mugabe get's away with this what's the betting that we just sit back and let him get away with it?

...and so it begins.

I did honestly hope that the army would see sense and decide not to follow Mugabe's whims any more.

I suppose I was asking too much.

What seriously worries me, though, is what comes next.

reply to post by more_serotonin_pls


I really hope it doesn't happen, but the next thing is the expulsion of all journalists, a state of emergency, martial law and arrests.
Then people being shot "whilst trying to escape" a series of trumped up charges and fabricated evidence.

Perhaps if smeone told shrub there was a lot of oil there...

Budski,

That's exactly what I was thinking might happen.

There is a real potential for descent into complete anarchy here. The people of Zimbabwe do not deserve this. No-one does.

Regarding oil - we all know if it was there the boy Bush would be straight in there claiming he was dealing with human rights.

I think we may be looking at NATO peacekeepers in the not too distant future though.

Seriously, the free world can take its ques from this situation. Apeasing the world political theater by holding the elections (as if they are a democracy) only to reveal their true agenda by these sweeping actions. Sound familar?

Originally posted by budski
reply to post by more_serotonin_pls

 

Perhaps if smeone told shrub there was a lot of oil there...

Of course Zimbabwe's lack of mineral wealth has helped determine Westen policy, but so has a reluctance to "involve" itself in African affairs for fear of accusations of Colonialism.

And in the meantime millions of ordinary Zimbaban's continue to suffer.

Just a small update.

www.independent.co.uk...

The Foreign Office said today that it is urgently looking into reports that a British national allegedly reporting on Zimbabwe's elections has been detained in the country.

Security agents and police entered a hotel in the capital Harare yesterday, taking away five foreigners.

It is believed that two were arrested for allegedly reporting without accreditation.

Zimbabwean lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told the Associated Press that of the five detained two were jailed and would be charged today for allegedly practising journalism without licences. She said the other three had been released.

The other reporter arrested is from the NY Times. Also, Zimbabwe's liberation war veterans are marching and making noises that the election results will lead to a white invasion on the farms.

africa.reuters.com...

HARARE, April 4 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's liberation war veterans, key backers of President Robert Mugabe, said on Friday claims of election victory by the opposition MDC were a "provocation against freedom fighters."

War veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda told a press conference the veterans would repel any attempt by white farmers to repossess farms seized by Mugabe.

"It looks like these elections were a way to open for the re-invasion of this country (by the British)," he told a press conference.

And So It Starts Again

Unconfirmed reports in some UK newspapers say that white farmers are again being targetted by mugabe's thugs in an effort to promote a wave of "patriotism" - exactly the same tactic he used in 2000/2001.

Militias are being rearmed, Zanu-PF supporters are being rearmed says MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti.

Poll officials have been detained after being accused of under-counting mugabe's votes.

There is going ot be violence and bloodshed on a huge scale as mugabe does everything he can to hang on to power.

When will the world wake up and actually do something about this???

[edit on 8/4/2008 by budski]

With still no official announcement of the Presidential Election results is there any doubt the Mugabe and his Zanu-PF cronies are manipulating events.

The role of President Mbeki of South Africa is intriguing.
He proposed allowing the "re-allocation" of votes to increase the Zanu-PF votes but not enough to allow Mugabe to claim outright victory.
The plan was for Mugabe to stand down and another Zanu-PF candidate to be announced victor.
Unfortunately Mugabe refused to play ball.

Mbeki himself is scared that if one of the old guard, revolutionary, anti-colonialism parties loses it's power and influence there will be a bit of a "domino" effect and that his own ANC, (which is encountering increasing criticism in South Africa), will suffer the same fate.

It is an absolute disgrace that the British and other governments are not doing more to ensure the will of the Zimbabwan people is carried out.

[edit on 8/4/08 by Freeborn]

I totally agree - it's an even bigger scandal that SA is just sanding around watching, particularly considering the repercussions for them.

During newsnight last week, one of the excuses was that zimbabwe isn't a bad country "as far as african countries go" and whilst there may be some truth in that, it's wrong toturn a blind eye because they are not that bad in the context of a very corrupt continent.

Between wars, famine and aids, there may not be much hope for the future of africa - and the fact that so few people have posted here about one of the great scandals in the world shows the ennui prevalent when africa is mentioned.

Yeah Bud,

The general apathy shown towards Africa is quite alarming espcially on a site like this where this is a high proportion of insightful and concerned individuals.

Maybe it's because any reasoned debate will conclude that the average African living in Africa has a worse standard of living and life expectancy since the "anti-colonial" revolutionary parties took over than ever before.

The solutions do not fit into their PC dogma.

Or maybe it's because deep down people just don't care??

Freeborn

I think that many people may (and the word is MAY) have written africa off as a lost cause, simply because their country doesn't have a stake in it.

It's discouraging in some ways that people don't acknowledge african tragedies.

I understand all the right wing arguments saying it's all their own fault - but I disagree with them wholeheartedly.

Apart from that, I think you're right - people just don't care...

Bud,

Would never say it's all their own fault but they certainly haven't helped themselves at times.

Tribal differences seem to take precedent over anything and corruption is inherent.

I truly don't believe Africa is a lost cause but it needs a sudden and severe step change in approach and attitude, by everyone.

When the eyes of the world are on the ME and all it's oil who care's about a few million blacks?

Not many it would seem.

Truly tragic and an absolute disgrace!

We know the problems in africa, the question is:

Is there a case for intervening.

I think there is,
but many do not - and that's a symptom of the PC bullplop "Treat them like they're kids growing up"
Patronising gits

The poorest people in our cities would be considered wealthy in africa

Here is an interesting report from a Zimbabwean who lives in Harare.

news.bbc.co.uk...

I find her answer to the question about what will happen in Zimbabwe if Mugabe announces that he has won the election very interesting.

It seems ordinary Zimbabweans are putting a lot of faith in the world community.

It looks like they are going to be disappointed, much to our shame.

Still no official announcement of the Presedential election result.
Mugabe has now suspended all political rallies.

The South African Development Community are now meeting in Zambia to discuss the "post election deadlock".

What utter nonsense.
It is pretty straight forward; the Zimbabwean electorate have followed Zimbabwean electorial process.
The results should be annouced and the will of the Zimbabwean people should be respected.

That some sort of compromise may be agreed to placate and accomodate Mugabe and / or Zanu PF is both illegal and immoral.

news.bbc.co.uk...

And all we get from Brown is more empty rhetoric.

news.uk.msn.com...

The silence from the US and other western countries is deafening.

Some articles to keep anyone out there who is even remotely interested in the ongoing tragedy that is Zimbabwe up to date with current events.

www.timesonline.co.uk... ndIndex=10&jumpToPrevious=0&mode=SIMPLE&submitStatus=searchFormSubmitted§ionId=674&x=28&y=8

Looks like Mbeki is trying his best to ensure that Mugabe stays in power.

[edit on 13/4/08 by Freeborn]

To be honest, I'm so enraged by this whole thing that I had to refrain from posting.

There's the western worlds love of democracy - right there.

Bloody hypocrites.