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M. Continuo

Zimbabwe general strike flops


    By MacDonald Dzirutwe

    HARARE (Reuters) - An opposition general strike to demandthe release of Zimbabwe's delayed election result flopped onTuesday and the ruling party in neighbouring South Africacalled the situation "dire".

    Fears of a crackdown by President Robert Mugabe'sgovernment and the desperate need of many Zimbabweans to makeenough money to survive in a collapsing economy undermined thestrike.

    It was the second setback in two days for the oppositionMovement for Democratic Change (MDC) after a High Court judgeon Monday refused to order the release of the presidentialresult.

    But calls to announce the outcome of the March 29 vote wonpowerful backing from South Africa's ruling African NationalCongress, which said there should be no further delay.

    A statement by the party's executive National WorkingCommittee said the situation was "dire, with negativeconsequences" for all of southern Africa.

    The prolonged uncertainty over events in Zimbabwe hit SouthAfrica's rand currency on Tuesday, which fell to its lowestlevel in five days.

    "The comments coming out with regards to the ANC andZimbabwe ... I think that's one of the reasons it has weakened.The uncertainty of Zimbabwe is definitely around," a tradersaid. South Africa's power crisis also hurt the currency.

    There have been increasing signs in the ANC of impatiencewith President Thabo Mbeki's "quiet diplomacy" on Zimbabwesince he was replaced as party leader by Jacob Zuma last year.

    Mbeki, who led unsuccessful mediation by the SouthernAfrican Development Community (SADC) last year, said before asummit of the group last weekend that there was nopost-election crisis in Zimbabwe.

    The ANC committee said Mbeki "needs to observe a neutralposition" in his role as mediator.

    Reflecting international concern, the White House said U.S.President George W. Bush had raised Zimbabwe's post-electioncrisis with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday, saying it haddragged on too long and should be resolved peacefully.

    ZANU-PF lost control of parliament for the first time in aparallel vote on March 29, and the MDC accuses Mugabe of tryingto buy time to organise a violent response to his biggestsetback since coming to power in 1980.

    BUS BURNED

    Police said there was little trouble during the strike buttwo buses were attacked in the early hours of Tuesday on theoutskirts of Harare. One was burned and another stoned butthere were no serious injuries.

    The MDC's strike call was unheeded in many places.

    "We employ ourselves here, any day's work we lose hits ourpockets," said Patrick Daka, who runs a brick-making venturealong with four others in a southern industrial area of Harare.

    Asked about the failure of many workers to observe thecall, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said: "That isunderstandable considering the ruthlessness of the regime."

    The MDC has declared victory in the presidential electionand demanded that Mugabe step down to make way for its leaderMorgan Tsvangirai. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party says Tsvangirai didnot win an absolute majority and a runoff will be necessary,although no official results have been released.

    South Africa's Star newspaper quoted Tsvangirai as sayingin an interview he would take part in a runoff against Mugabe,but only if it was run by SADC with international observers.MDC previously rejected a runoff.

    A court in Harare on Tuesday delayed until Wednesday ahearing on the MDC's attempt to block a recount of votes in 23constituencies ordered by electoral authorities.

    The ANC statement said: "To hold a run-off vote when theelection results are not known would be undemocratic andunprecedented."

    Banks, shops and offices in central Harare were open asmany workers ignored the call for an indefinite stoppage.

    "We are open here because we don't want to attractattention to ourselves. Some workers have come and others havenot," said one shop floor supervisor at a tobacco processingfirm, who declined to be named.

    "I think there is general consensus that strikes don'twork, the government just ignores you and managers get intotrouble."

    At a market in Tafara township, east of Harare, MabelChimanga, who sells vegetables, told Reuters: "We want to knowthe results but if I don't come here then my children are theones who will suffer because I can't buy them food."

    Soldiers and police fanned out across Zimbabwe early in theday before the strike and set up checkpoints but security easedlater when the stoppage flopped. The threat of a tough securityresponse has undermined previous calls for protests.

    Police beat dozens of MDC members and supporters, includingTsvangirai, during an aborted 2007 anti-government protest. Ageneral strike last year to protest against low wages andliving conditions also collapsed.

    (Additional reporting by Muchena Zigomo, Nelson Banya, CrisChinaka; Phumza Macanda in Johannesburg; Writing by BarryMoody; Editing by Caroline Drees)