Two days to go to the much awaited March 29 joint presidential and parliamentary poll. Zimbabweans are currently gripped with election fever like they have never gone for a poll before. A survey by this publication reveals if the country’s only president since independence, Robert Mugabe does not rig the election, he will be booted out of power by his main rival and people’s favourite- Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

MDC Supporters

Just recently, during the Easter holidays, the MDC president cancelled a rally scheduled for Highfields suburb in Harare, and shifted it to the Harare Show grounds. Thousands of people preferred to walk that distance so as to attend that rally whilst others were ferried by hired trucks and others by well-wishers in their private vehicles.

The MDC supporters shouted, “Tinoenda kunaPresident wedu, kunyange netsoka.” (We will go to our President, even on foot.”

“Over 100 000 people attended the rally which was also attended by MDC Vice President Thokozai Khupe and the ‘New Zimbabwe Team’.”

“The venue of the rally was switched at the last minute after the police denied the MDC the right to use the Zimbabwe Grounds on the pretext that ZANU PF had booked the same venue for four days,” says the MDC.

Across the country, people have never felt so free to talk and campaign for their respective parties and candidates, contrary to recent years where the ruling ZANU PF militia or uniformed forces would torment Zimbabweans.

During the weekend, (when this reporter was on his way home), one kombi passenger reacted angrily when the conductor announced the fare had gone up from $10 million to $15 million.

He shouted, “You see why I won’t vote for Mugabe. To make matters worst, we have no electricity, for four days now in our area.”

“Whoever votes for Mugabe is insane,” he said.

A week ago, in rural Masvingo, Tsvangirai addressed two star rallies at Makuvuza Business Centre in Bikita and at Gutu Mupandawana in Gutu. According to the MDC, an average of 30 000 people attended each rally as people across the country continue to make a bold statement of their support for the MDC President and his party towards this week’s elections.

“ZANU PF, stung by the mammoth crowds turning up at MDC rallies, has lined up 100 of its supporters in every ward for multiple voting after realising that the majority of Zimbabweans want to turn a new leaf by archiving the regime

“The regime has also embarked on a desperate attempt to manipulate the people’s will by bribing polling officers and our polling agents at every polling station in the country,” said the MDC. However, the ruling party dismisses all those claims.

During the weekend, the ageing leader cancelled 5 scheduled rallies in Matebeleland citing poor coordination by his party.

Former Finance Minister and porlitiburo member, currently presidential aspirant, Simba Makoni has resorted to focusing more on campaigning in smaller towns and rural areas.

In Gweru, at the Mkoba stadium, a crowd of between 5 000 to 7 000 was already waiting and this swelled to about 8,000 by the time Makoni was invited to address the crowd.

Makoni has also been to Gokwe, Sanyati, Chachacha and Shurugwi, Gweru, Mbalabala, Esigodini, Maphisa, Matopo, Figtree, Sipepa, Tsholotsho, Nyamandlovu, Plumtree, Zvishavane, Mashava and now we are in Masvingo, where he has already toured Nemanwa, Gopoza, Topola, Morgenster, Muchakata, Ngomahuru and Bikita.

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