Midlands and Masvingo resemble ghost town

By Tererai Karimakwenda
June 27, 2008

The Masvingo and Midlands provinces were reported to resemble a ghost town on Friday as most people stayed home and others remained in the areas where they have been hiding since fleeing from state-sponsored violence in the last few weeks.

In Chiredzi farmer and activist Gerry Whitehead said it was obvious people were boycotting the presidential runoff. There were no queues to be seen at any of the polling stations.

Reports of some disturbances were received from the Zaka area where ZANU-PF militia were moving around in groups of 25, forcing people to go and vote. Those who had no ink on their fingers were beaten and taken to the police station.

A parliamentary by-election was conducted in the Midlands North district of Redcliff, where a seat was left vacant by the death of the Mutambara MDC MP Abednico Malinga. The MDC is participating in this by-election, represented by Tapera Sengweni.

The Tsvangirai MDC youth organising secretary for Midlands North, Willard Somerai, told us that their polling agents were chased away from the station in Redcliff on Thursday night, and their whereabouts are still not known. Party officials only realised this on voting day Friday, and immediately scrambled to find replacements. Somerai said they did not want that seat to go to the ruling party.

In Gweru, reports said the polling stations in Northlea, Nashville, Fort-Hare, and Windsor Park were opened at 7am with not a single person in sight, as compared to March 29. The streets were silent.