President race - we may have to vote again

Latest leaked figures in the contest for the top job mean a presidential run-off

Harare, Zimbabwe, Monday, March 31, 4.30 pm

Two different sources of information have agreed this afternoon that the contest for the next President of Zimbabwe, known already to be a two-horse-race between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, is so close that unless the figures are changed by Zanu-PF's vote riggers, there will be a run-off vote.

Both the independent organisation Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition and my source within the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) agree with the following figures:

Tsvangirai 48 per cent

Mugabe 44 per cent

Under the constitution, this means there will have to be a two-man run-off vote.

While observers here try to decide what this will mean in the coming days, one successful parliamentary candidate has allowed his celebration of victory to get slightly out of hand.

Eliot Manyika, who is the Zanu-PF National Commissar and a Minister Without Portolio, won in Mashonaland East. He and his supporters decided that this was an occasion for singing and dancing, and the song they chose was a composition by Manyika himself, who claims to be a musician.

The Minister noticed a young lad wearing a t-short supporting Tsvangirai, and stopped the celebration to tell the boy to go away. A quarrel developed, there was some pushing and shoving, and then the boy ran for it. Manyika, unable to run as fast as the boy, drew a pistol and shot him in the right leg. Then he was driven away by his supporters.

There is no news of the boy's condition. Police are believed to have interviewed the Minister, but not arrested him.

I called Manyika this afternoon and asked him to comment on the incident. He said: "Leave me alone. Do you want me to shoot you instead?"

I have decided to steer clear of the Minister for a few days.

Comments

[ShowsOn]

If your story about the Minister's illegal act of psychotic brutality wasn't sad, it would be funny.

But it isn't funny, it shows what happens when thugs run a country.

[chimanimanikunyanga]

No point commenting on the ZANU farce. I think that man is just crazy enough to play away even his own stacked deck. We are all with you.

[babachipo]

i have heard a rumour that Eliot manyika also shot and killed two other people today.

Eliot Manyika should know he will no longer sleep. Ngozi dzinozoka.

its time for these mudhalas to go. Ibva! ibva! Ibva! nguva yematotsi eZANU PF yaenda! Ibva!

[SIR DREW]

MANYIKA IMHATA I WAS THERE WHEN HE KILLED THE BOY HE IS A MURDERER LIKE ALL HIS FELLOW COMPATRIOTS.TACHAFA VAKAZVIZIVA WHEN THEY WIN

[Big E]

Chinobhururuka chinomhara. Chisingaperi chino shura. All these adages have been right since the beginning of time itself. Mugabe's number is up whether he and his cohorts like it or not. Pamberi ne Zimbabwe and down with greed driven obsession with power. May the truth prevail!!

[Big E]

Chinobhururuka chinomhara. Chisingaperi chino shura. All these adages have been right since the beginning of time itself. Mugabe's number is up whether he and his cohorts like it or not. Pamberi ne Zimbabwe and down with greed driven obsession with power. May the truth prevail!!

[Big E]

Chinobhururuka chinomhara. Chisingaperi chino shura. All these adages have been right since the beginning of time itself. Mugabe's number is up whether he and his cohorts like it or not. Pamberi ne Zimbabwe and down with greed driven obsession with power. May the truth prevail!!

[Hewo]

But Manyika unopenga. Uri tsvina yemunhu. If it were your child, would you kill of his freedom arena.

Stop your murder character otherwise, God will punish you ukashayiwa murwiri. Tendeuka izvozvi so.

Haunyari, akakuudza kuti politics dzinozadziswa ne Murder ndiani.

[mainorosi]

Its high time, these idiots should be told that enough iz enough, kugara musango tanetseka. i seem not to understand that only barbarians can vote for bob