Zimbabwe votes in despair

Getty Images So, how’d the voting go in Zimbabwe today? John Simpson, the BBC World Affairs editor, reporting from Harare, said the atmosphere of fear and intimidation was the worst thing “he has seen in 40 years of reporting.” Many voters reportedly believed they would be subject to violence and harassment if their fingers were ...

594411_080627_zimbabwe5.jpg
594411_080627_zimbabwe5.jpg

Getty Images

Getty Images

So, how’d the voting go in Zimbabwe today? John Simpson, the BBC World Affairs editor, reporting from Harare, said the atmosphere of fear and intimidation was the worst thing “he has seen in 40 years of reporting.”

Many voters reportedly believed they would be subject to violence and harassment if their fingers were not dipped in red ink, a sign that they had voted. Although this might mean that they cast a protest ballot for Mr. Tsvangirai, don’t bet on it — election officials and Mugabe goons are requring voters to write down the serial numbers of their ballots, so they will have a record of everyone who voted for the opposition.

How will Africa respond? More statements, condemnations and demands, with no action.

Nigeria’s This Day newspaper said that Mugabe has “lost any iota of credibility.” Mozambique’s government has called for “renewed dialogue.” From Kampala, Uganda’s government has urged “a stop to violence,” which is ironic coming from Uganda. Kenya recommends that the election be postponed (also ironic, given what happened there in December and January). Botswana threatens to take action, although what kind remains unclear (now we’re getting somewhere!). And South Africa, the country that the entire world has been begging to put an end to this? Thabo Mbeki is expected to reject the results of today’s election, catching him up with the rest of the world, who knew a month ago that this contest is rigged.

Nobody will do anything, or so it seems. At least one person was enjoying the vote today, however:

Mugabe and his family voted in the Harare suburb of Highfields, beaming to reporters after casting his ballot.

“I feel very fit and very optimistic,” he said.

Tag: Africa

More from Foreign Policy

An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.
An illustration shows the Statue of Liberty holding a torch with other hands alongside hers as she lifts the flame, also resembling laurel, into place on the edge of the United Nations laurel logo.

A New Multilateralism

How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.

A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.
A view from the cockpit shows backlit control panels and two pilots inside a KC-130J aerial refueler en route from Williamtown to Darwin as the sun sets on the horizon.

America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want

Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, seen in a suit and tie and in profile, walks outside the venue at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Behind him is a sculptural tree in a larger planter that appears to be leaning away from him.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, seen in a suit and tie and in profile, walks outside the venue at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Behind him is a sculptural tree in a larger planter that appears to be leaning away from him.

The Endless Frustration of Chinese Diplomacy

Beijing’s representatives are always scared they could be the next to vanish.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on June 22, 2022.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on June 22, 2022.

The End of America’s Middle East

The region’s four major countries have all forfeited Washington’s trust.