Zimbabwe election violence – 'the last kick of a dying horse'?Numsa News went to print on the eve of the Zimbabwe presidential elections. We spoke to a Zimbabwean worker and trade union member just a week before she was to vote in the run-off elections.

“I doubt if the elections are going to make any difference. Mugabe is already boasting that even if he loses he is not going to step down. He has declared war, everything is going to collapse,” she told Numsa News.

Meanwhile many companies have closed their doors and told their workers to report for duty after the results of the elections on July 2. Other companies have resorted to working between one and three days per week.

Even though wages are negotiated every month, “you cannot sustain yourself,” she says, “things are rising in price every day!” Many workers are just not going to work because of the high transport costs. “The minimum monthly wage in June was Z$30 billion but for transport for a week you now need Z$20 billion.”

Trade unions weakeningAnd trade union organisation is weakening as a result. “All union meetings have been suspended because of the transport problem. If workers come to a union meeting then they have no money for transport to get to work.

We try to keep communicating by telephone.”But though surviving is difficult for her in her home town, she says it's nothing like the suffering that workers are enduring in the rural areas.“In rural areas teachers are no longer going to school because they are being beaten. Most of the teachers are fleeing – it is said that teachers are working for the opposition MDC.”

People fleeing rural areasAnd those who have fled the rural areas will not be able to vote, giving more votes to Robert Mugabe. “People are being forced out of their homes to attend Zanu-PF functions,” she says.

They are being driven out of their homes, given t-shirts. They participate in fear of their lives.” Earlier this year she was an election observer during the parliamentary elections for the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU).

There were no anomalies then, we saw that the election was free and fair.” She has applied to be an election monitor again but she is still waiting to hear if she has been accredited. “Maybe they no longer want ZCTU observers.

They always claim that ZCTU is sympathising with the opposition.”Asked what South Africans can do, she urged trade unionists to continue demonstrations. "We are not happy with President Mbeki's 'quiet diplomacy'," she says.

"We thought that maybe the president of South Africa is the one that could do something. People feel he is betraying them."Despite the gloomy outlook, she is not about to give up and leave. “If all of us leave, who will remain behind.

We have to fight to the end. Maybe things will change, who knows. They say what goes around comes around. Perhaps it's the last kick of the dying horse!”

Udlame oluhambelana nokhetho lwaseZimbabwe: ngabe lokhu kuyihlandla lokugcina kulabo abamuka namanzi?Kunzima ukuya emsebenzini emadolobheni aseZimbabwe futhi uhlale ungazi nokuthi lizoqhamuka kuphi ipuleti elilandelayo lokudla, kanti-ke futhi kunzima kakhulu ezindaweni zasemakhaya, ngokusho kwelungu lenyunyana yaseZimbabwe.

Ezindaweni zasemakhaya, othisha abasalubhadi esikoleni ngoba bayabhaxabulwa. Iningi labo-ke liyabaleka manje ngoba kuthiwa othisha basebenzela iqembu eliphikisayo, i-MDC.”

“Abantu bakhishwa ngoshova emizini yabo kuthiwe mabaye emihlanganweni ye-Zanu-PF,” kuqhuba ilungu lenyunyana. “Bakhishwa emizini yabo, banikwe izikibha ezingama-t-shirts. Babamba iqhaza ngoba besabela izimpilo zabo.

Yize isimo sisibi kangako, leli lungu lenyunyana alizimisele ngokushiya phansi lihambe. “Uma sihamba sonke, kuzosala bani? Kufuneka silwe kuze kube sekugcineni.

Mhlawumbe izinto zizoguquka, kwazi bani! Bathi okwenza omunye nomunye kuyomenza. Mhlawumbe lokhu esikubonayo yihlandla lokugcina kulabo abamuka namanzi!”

Zimbabwiese verkiesingsgeweld – die laaste stuiptrekkings van ‘n gekweste perd?Dit is moeilik om werk of jou volgende bord kos in Zimbabwe se dorpe en stede in die hande te probeer kry, maar volgens ‘n Zimbabwiese vakbondlid is dit baie erger op die platteland.

Op die platteland gaan onderwysers nie meer skool toe nie omdat hulle aangerand word. Die meeste onderwysers vlug – daar word gesê dat onderwysers vir die opposisie-MDC werk.”“Mense word uit hulle huise gedwing om Zanu PF-funksies by te woon,” sê sy.

Hulle word uit hulle huise gejaag, en dan T-hemde gegee. Hulle neem deel uit vrees vir hulle lewens.” Ten spyte van die donker vooruitsigte is sy nie van plan om op te gee en weg te gaan nie. “Wie sal agterbly as ons almal weggaan? Ons moet tot die einde toe veg. Miskien sal dinge verander – wie weet? Hulle sê wat jy saai sal jy maai. Miskien is dit die laaste skop van ‘n gekweste perd!”

Merusu ya dikgetho tsa Zimbabwe – ho raha ha o qetela ha pere e shwang?Ho boima haholo ho ya mosebetsing kapa ho ya fumana dijo ditoropong tsa Zimbabwe, empa hoo ho boima le ho feta dibakeng tse mahaeng ho rialo setho sa mokgatlo wa basebetsi sa Zimbabwe. “Dibakeng tse mahaeng matitjhere ha a sa ya dikolong hobane a otlwa.

Matitjhere a mangata a baleha – ho thwe matitjhere e sebeletsa mokgatlo wa kganyetso wa MDC.”“Batho ba qobellwa ho tswa malapeng a bona ho ya meketeng ya Zanu-PF,” ke ena eo. “Ba ntshwa malapeng a bona, ba fuwe di t-shirt. Ba nka karolo hobane ba tshaba hore ba ka bolawa.”

Le ha maemo a hlobaetsa jwalo, yena ha a ikemisetsa ho lahlela marapo e be o a tsamaya. “Haebe bohle re batla ho tsamaya, ke mang ya tla sala. Re lokela ho lwana ho fihlela qetellong. Mohlomong dintho di tla fetoha, ke mang ya tsebang. Ho thwe ho etsahetseng ho tla etsollwa. Mohlomong ke ho raha ha ho qetela ha pere e shwang!”

Source

Numsa News