Democracy please...

Today the BBC has reported the unearthing of documents which detail the involvement of Zimbabwe’s military in the running of Mugabe’s re-election campaign as he fights to retain a stranglehold on the leadership. Then there’s the arrest and detention of Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC) coupled with unrelenting violence across the country which seems to have intensified. In this week alone horrific accounts of brutality, torture and murder have been widespread and the use of intimidation tactics on opposition supporters amidst all the turmoil Robert Mugabe’s arrival at the UN food summit in Rome last week was certainly contentious. Back to today’s revelations, the JOC (joint operations command) which is made up of military and state security has been implicated in beatings, and stand accused of driving opposition supporters out of their homes in rural areas and using food supplies as a political weapon. The Times carries a harrowing story of the brutal and murder of the wife of an opposition party leader and with atrocities being committed openly and with such impunity one wonders what the eventual outcome will be and whether a truly democratic process will be allowed to take its course.  Amnesty has expressed concern over the arrest of Woza (Women of Zimbabwe Arise) activists who were arrested following a peaceful demonstration in the capital Harare. Unusually and alarmingly they continue to be denied bail and are being held in harsh prison conditions where they could be subject to torture and other ill treatment, click here to help appeal for their release.