In a personal communication after the Zimbabwean elections, Cathy writes:
Our elections have now come and gone and have been a shambolic mess. Observer missions from the region, the continent, Europe and America have all criticised the process from beginning to end and said it was not free, fair or credible.
The opposition have refused to accept the results and are calling for a new independently-run election. The incumbent of course doesn’t agree and independent assessors are now exposing all the rigging.
It’s a huge mess, Steve, and we are very fearful that it will descend into violence. Arrests and disappearances are growing by the day.