June 27, 2008
Posted: 1654 GMT

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Zimbabweans voted today in an election many called a ‘sham.' But ordinary people from Zimbabwe were stuck outside the country watching the events in their homeland unfold.

Voters line up in Harare.
Voters line up in Harare.

And so was I. CNN is banned by the Zimbabwean government from reporting in the country.So I spent the week talking to Zimbabweans living in Johannesburg. I met them at Park station in downtown Johannesburg and in a refugee camp next to a plush golf course outside of the city.

At the station they gather commodities that they have bought to take back to their families. There are few commodities in Zimbabwe and the inflation rate is over two million percent. They were taking rice and maize meal, clothes and mattresses.

"There is no reason to go and vote since they are beating us like this," said one man at the Park station, "It doesn¹t make sense." Another agreed, I can't use any of their names, they are afraid that Mugabe's government might monitor CNN's broadcasts and website, "Even if we go back and vote, Mugabe would not accept it. It is better for us to stay here, we are free here."

I was at the refugee camp as voting began. Many Zimbabweans live here and they were depressed about their country. They had voted in March. Now they were too fatigued at the politics or too afraid to go back.

They got hold of relatives, worried about their safety back in Zimbabwe.

Texas talked to his grandmother. She was too afraid to chat on the phone because thugs were intimidating people at the polling station. Joseph also got hold of his grandmother. She said that militia where forcing people to vote and checking their hands for ink. They stain fingers when you have voted in Zimbabwe.

I also met Nesbitt and his father. Nesbitt's father is a war veteran. War veterans are generally associated with ZANU-PF. But his father, who doesn't want us to reveal his name, fled the country a week ago. He says he was put on a list an MDC supporter, though he has no real political affiliation.

"They said I was an opposition supporter because I am not following their footsteps," he said, "I fought for democracy, not for brutality after independence."

Not all Zimbabweans are refugees, of course, there are over a million of them living in South Africa. Privilege is one of them.

Privilege is a 24-year-old Zimbabwean waitress who's been living in Johannesburg since 2005.

She hopes for a better tomorrow in Zimbabwe, but she has gotten used to her adopted country.

"I am better than I would have been had I been in Zimbabwe, so I can say that I am happy."

Whether Privilege and other Zimbabweans ever get to live in their home again depends on how the ruler of that nation and the leaders of the world decide whether the people of Zimbabwe deserve a fair shake.

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Filed under: Zimbabwe


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Drexane Larry   June 27th, 2008 2006 GMT

Most Zimbabweans the world over cannot wait to go back home.Nobody really likes it out here we have thousands of proffessionals doing odd jobs around the world.But we are all waiting for one thing.That is for the new age Hitler,Robert Mugabe to leave office and handover to more capable hands.Every democratic trick has failed to work against this tyrant its time for UN,AU,SADC and other powerful countries like the US,UK,SA to send troops and forcibly remove him for the good of the innocent milllions.

Tapera   June 28th, 2008 1612 GMT

I believe that Mugabe will leave office soon. All he wanted to do was to leave a legacy of a winner. I am pretty sure he will have someone take over office.

It's a pity people had to go through all this as the world watched

Nyasha   June 29th, 2008 1151 GMT

We are sick and tired of Zimbabwean issues on the news. Britain and your allies if you want you go aheard and bomb the whole of Zimbabwe like you did in Iraq and forget about that small nation. Honestly it will not take you a day
You create problems and then pretend to sympathise and shout democracy. You think we do not see?

TJJ   June 30th, 2008 523 GMT

Is Mugabe not shouting democracy himself? Threatening communities with torture or worse unless they vote for the right candidate is in no way democratic.

To blame the British for the Zim crisis (and it is a crisis) is absurd. Would it have been better for the Republic of Rhodesia to continue to exist? Of course not...and the Brits helped to broker a solution. The problem is, they facillitated the rise of a meglomaniac to a dictorial position.

To blame anyone else but Mugabe and his cronies for the circumstances in Zimbabwe is insanity. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the power abused by Mugabe and his ZANU-PF regime has run the country into the ground.

The charismatic leader of a guerilla force fighting for a worthy cause (freedom & independence), the Robert Mugabe of 1979, has turned into another Mobutu clone. Hold fair elections, protect the voters, and stop blaming other countries for problems that are directly caused by the leadership element of the current regime.

natsai   June 30th, 2008 2036 GMT

When people see R. G. Mugabe on a podium vowing to be in power forever and threatening any “puppet” opposition, here is a little synopsis of what is going on in his mind: “We did not fight and get tortured by the white imperialists so they can come back and colonize us again. At the Lancaster House agreement the (British, and the Carter admin) agreed on a constitution that guaranteed to restore the land back to the black Zimbabweans by funding a 10 year “willing to sell- willing to buy” clause. This was a sham because how many were willing to sell? How could we let the minority white people (3% of the population) continue to own over 50% of our land? So I had to kick them out! In addition when that Blair came into power he and Min. Short reneged on that promise! Today Tsvangirai has these same kinds of people backing him and if he thinks I will let him take our country back into their hands he better think again! We are still at war with these people and if we have to suffer sanctions, so be it! Nobody should point a finger at me especially those that are killing people in Iraq for wanting sovereignty for my people. I am not a killer, but if what I am doing makes me a Hitler, then let me be him 10-fold.”

All that being said is Mugabe justified for he actions? What about the way he goes about accomplishing his goals: Gukurahundi, Operation Murambatsvina, the current tortures and killings as well as the antichrist voting style of the indelible mark.

O.K. so we know what R.G. is all about, but what do we the people of Zimbabwe want? We want food, health care – we are dying of AIDS, that Z$2.00 note and the jingle of coins in our pockets, electricity and water 24/7.

Zimbabwe is now made up of 3 distinct generations: The over 50, who are tired and helpless in Zimbabwe. All they want is to have food on their table because they don’t have hope of living any legacy for the younger generation. The 35-50 are either dead from AIDS/HIV or in diaspora – the brain drain that left Zimbabwe to survive. They are the last of the Mohicans. Their offspring 35 and younger born out of Zimbabwe are foreign, they don’t identify with Zimbabwe. The few 35 and younger who are still in Zimbabwe are desperate because schools are closed, there are no jobs thus have resorted to torture and killing of the young and the old, with the promise of cars (in the midst of gas shortages), land (for which they have no capacity) and drugs (which get them hyped to do the atrocious).

Who then is going to rebuild Zimbabwe? R.G. Mugabe and his posse? I think not. Bottom line- R. G. MUGABE YOU HAVE TO GO!

hamadziripi   July 3rd, 2008 1354 GMT

i was dissappointed by the resolution taken by the AU we were hoping for a better response from our African brothers.We must stand up and learn to call a spade a spade not to support one another in the name of african brothers when it is clear that the person is a destroying the country.We have tried to solve our problems on our own through the ballot of 29 march but this man has rejected the will of the majority.so it wont make sense if other african leaders are saying go back and resolve your own problems.Maybe the only last resort will be for the majority to take up arms again and after the leaders have seen more thousands of dead bodies will they be ready to intervene.we are sick and tired of this so called 'african brotherness'

JT   July 15th, 2008 1922 GMT

Blame Bush for all this. Blame the U.S. and British for this. They are behind this. All this would be a major issue if the the U.S. and British stop terrorising the whole world. They say we are fighting terrorism when they are the real terrorist. Start with the CIA. The C.I.A. is the oldest and meanest terrorist in the whole world. Stop going after Osama Bin Ladin if we are really fighting terrorism. So, leave Mugabe alone. Let Africans lead themselves. British farmers need to leave the huge amount of land that they aquired during dark eras. U.S. and British need to stop funding thier puppets like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and so on. By the way, Americans are stupid enough not to know the truth. They are too busy having fun watching movie, and going to disney and all that stuff. They don't know American soldiers are dying for oil not for freedom in Iraq. American media is plain retarded.

NOTHANDO   November 5th, 2008 1542 GMT

MUGABE MUSTNT BE LEFT ALONE HE NEEDS ASAP ATTETION COZ DEMENTIA HAS TAKEN ITS COURSE IN HIS MENTAL STATUS...FORGIVE THE HISTORY AND LETS BUILD THE NEW WORLD

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