Thousands throng MDC-T 'game over' rally

Thousands of supporters in red t-shirts thronged the MDC-T's final election campaign rally in Harare on Monday, where Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said he "forgives" Robert Mugabe and those who have wronged him and hopes the ageing Zanu-PF leader retires peacefully.


Addressing a huge crowd that came out for his last rally before the crucial poll on Wednesday, the MDC-T president appealed to Zimbabweans to also forgive Mugabe and criticized the country's electoral body for lacking transparency.

"As I stand here before you I am a survivor. I was beaten and incarcerated for no good reason. I was treated like a common criminal but I am not bitter. I have reflected upon everything that has happened to me and to my family and I have forgiven my tormentors," Tsvangirai told supporters.

He said he did not want to become a prisoner of bitterness and wanted to be free to move forward as he was "a builder not a destroyer".

Dubbed "Red Power Monday", the rally was Tsvangirai's last bid to garner support and allay his supporters' fears ahead of this week's harmonized elections.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa said there were trucks, minibuses and lorries all over Harare, mobilizing supporters to attend the so-called "Cross Over" rally, which was held at an open space near the Rainbow Towers Hotel, which the party now calls "Freedom Square".

According to Muchemwa, Tsvangirai complained that his party had still not been given copies of the voters roll, which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is supposed to have already distributed in order to allow time for inspection before the poll. The location of all polling stations has also not been revealed by ZEC.

"They are surprised that tents are being pitched up in certain locations in the city but they still don't know where the polling stations will be. There was also chaos last night as ZEC tried to recruit polling officers. Tsvangirai said ZEC should just retire because of the confusion," Muchemwa explained.

The police had banned the rally last Friday, claiming they did not have enough personnel to cover the event, as many had been deployed to polling stations around the country to "secure election materials".

Police Chief Superintendent Titus Chagwedera had said he also feared the rally would "culminate in political violence. But in a u-turn on Saturday he reversed the ban and imposed a strict code of conduct, barring supporters from outside the capital and banning any toy-toying before, during and after the rally.

But according to Muchemwa, thousands of party supporters in MDC-T regalia sang and toy-toyed as they cheered party leaders who addressed the crowd despite the restrictions.

Meanwhile, Robert Mugabe continued campaigning over the weekend with a rally in Harare on Sunday, where he told supporters that Tsvangirai was a "crybaby" and he would be arrested if he revealed poll results before the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced them officially.

"I can tell you in advance that if you breach the rules … the police will arrest you … I don't care if you are prime minister", Mugabe is quoted as saying.

The ailing Zanu-PF leader's rallies have been attended by Zanu-PF supporters and locals who are reportedly forced to participate, with many being bused in from around the country.

The independent Daily News newspaper said: "Scores of those attending are leaving his rallies while he is still speaking soon after getting T-shirts and caps".

Zimbabweans now hope that the harmonized elections Wednesday will be peaceful and the post-election period will not mirror that of 2008, when hundreds were murdered by Zanu-PF thugs and security forces and thousands were assaulted.