I am supprised by Mbeki s remarks that the is no crisis in Zim.To me it appears Mbeki needs to see blood being shed for him to see that ther is crisis.At the moment quite a number of people have lost thier lives ni the rural areas since the announcement of results.There is no independent media(since some had thier licences withdrawn or printing machines bombed) and no one can report these cases of murder on opposition. Over the weekend the ZEC had started recounnts in some constituencies won by MDC and in Bikita Musakwa (Zanu) was declared winner.

The recounting of vote results without stake holders like obervors and the opposition is a clear indication that the Electrol Commission does not respect the will of the people and is biased. We do not want to see another Kenya. let all the recounting be done with the presence of the opposition and the observors. Other wise no one will accept these results of recouning without any checks and balances. Please Mugabe do not take the will of people for granted. Look at the number of people without jobs and no food.You are the courser of all this crisis if only you could have solved the problem of land amicably other than putting Zimbabwe in the mess in which it is now. Let the will of the people prevail.You are not yhe only person who can rule Zimbabwe, after all you have faile by killimg the Zimbabians due to the hunger you have created and you will never solve this problem by rulling.

The Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) have released a very useful report yesterday - recommended reading for all interested in the counting, re-counting and possible rigging of the Zimbabwean elections.

The 15 page report is titled ‘The Inconvenient Truth: A complete guide to the delay in releasing the results of Zimbabwe’s presidential poll.’, and can be downloaded in .pdf format from the sokwanele.com website: http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/891

There is detailed analysis of just how Zimbabwean electoral law has not been followed by the ZEC during the events subsequent to the election day.

This is the IDASA Mission Statement:

IDASA is an independent public interest organization committed to promoting sustainable democracy based on active citizenship, democratic institutions and social justice.

hallo

I am very disappointed with Mr Mbeki and SADC leaders. Its a shame. They have the opportunity to clean their image and they have let us down once again.

SADAC has proven themselves to be weak sisters again. This time at least they slink away in shame leaving for their own mansions to ashamed to face the public or the press. They know that they are just kept women for Bob and the zanu pf. How will SADAC face the rest of the world. What would they have said if the party in power doing all these things that ZANU and Bob are doing was a white government? There would be troops on the boarders and they would be screaming for the rest of the world to stop what was going on, and rightfuly so.

It is just that simple. Election results must be out immediately but what will they save if they are announced erroneously. This was time for interested parties to be vigilant and protect the ballots to the last end, if it require 500 people to protect the ballots and follow the ZEC process until announcement then it was to be good. Opposition has started throwing tirades directed towards wrong people. ZANU PF wants to win presidential elections at all cost, it is that war of 100 years that cannot be abandoned now, if MDC new this then they should have prepared themselves for a bitter end but with the people. We already here more sanctions from Tsvangirai and the electorate cannot stomach what is ahead of them.

What a joke! Zanu PF didn't print enough ballot extra papers ! They didn't realise the strength of the feeling against them. Just hoe incompetent are these people..we know they can't run an economy..witness the massive inflation, they can't even fix an election without cocking it up! It would make a great Hollywood comedy...perhaps one of those bitter sweet ones that makes you laugh and cry at the same time! Let's face it, Mugabe lost the popular vote despite fraud and intimidation and he's not going to give up power. He's racist, homophobic and against democracy in the form of free elections, free press, free judicary and is cronies are enjoying a lifestyle they're not going to give up.

The failure of SADC leaders to recognise the situation in Zimbabwe as 'crisis' reflects the toothlessness of such regional organisations in Africa, along with its continental body, the African Union. They are led by people without legitimacy to the their claims as democratically elected leaders of their respective countries. Their 'good governance' peer review institution embodied in the NEPAD is all but sham - a veneer to hoodwink the outside observers and AIDS DONORS, while in reality its 'a scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours' contraption. Why should Mbeki be stuck to his 'quiet diplomacy', which he knows has failed. For how long are these leaders going to bury their heads in the sand while the Zimbabweas are held ransom by Mr Mugabe - a man without insight into his misearasble failure at the helms of power in Zimbabwe for close to three decades. What more can this man do for Zimbabwe that he could not do since 1980? Its time to call a spade a spade and tell Mr Mugabe to step down.

Yet again Africa and Southern Africa in particular, proves how crooked and useless it's heads of state are. Bunch of useless, toothless wankers who couldn't even organise a pissup in a brewery if they tried. Disgusting!!!! They shame us all in Africa ......

You cannot blame SADC leaders. At least they tried to tackle the Zim issue in a civil and diplomatic way. They may not have succeeded but at least they can say, "hey, we tried". Mugabe is stubborn and the SADC cannot force him to step down until the supreme court in Zimbabwe has made a decision. It is clear that MOST SADC leaders where against Mugabe but the most powerful man in the SADC region (Mbeki) who controls the most powerful economy in Africa is on Mugabe's side so you can see how powerless other SADC leaders where because most of them trade with South Africa and if Mbeki had to make a decision of closing trade with them, there economies would also suffer. So to lay the blame on the SADC leaders is unrealistic and unfair. You have to lay the blame on the leaders who where on Mugabe's side and where polluting the other leaders minds with Mugabe's rhetoric.

I am very much ashamed by my fellow zambian .firstly all the people in southern region they should recall what we had gone through before. Thambo was inprison when many lives were claimed across southern region.NOW with his guiet dipromacy he wants to test the bitterness of those wounds. mozambique up to this day some areas are impassable.Zambian economy is not yet attained wisely .Just call for the oau pease keepers to Harare. Mugabe and his cronies are cooking foolish ideas. am wondering Thambo is dancing to the Mugabes tune.are our leaders capable to handle real catastrophies like the ones we see in IRAQ; ordering full scale assalt to fellow brother? THEY CAN'T. See it for your self Your leaders un reliable||||||||||||

DeeinCT, you are some of the white rubbish that thinks everything in SADC should be run by a white racists/apartheid leaders. White minorities run for elections in SADC, all of them could not even get 5% of the total vote. SADC leaders are democratically elected (at least most) and they represent what the region is about. SADC leaders are not accountable to the UK or other foolish "anglos" in the world. Democracy is a local issue.

I do recognize the predicament Zimbabwe is in. But the minimum that is expected for the good of this country is change. Let Mugabe go and the country start a fresh.Zimbabweans fight for change and you will not regret.