Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, known to many for his tyrannical method of "leadership," is at it again. Ahead of tomorrow's elections, he's already being accused of buying votes. Yesterday, Mugabe and his wife visited a hospital in the country's capital city, Harare. As noble as that may sound, his intentions weren't philanthropic in nature. He handed out 510 cars to doctors, a bribe in exchange for their votes.
Additionally, he doled out tractors, generators and food, reportedly as part of a project to keep skilled Zimbabweans from fleeing the crumbling country. With inflation rates hovering above 10,000 percent, they're probably better off finding a less tumultuous path elsewhere.
Mugabe has also been charged with a plot to rig the election. Voters lists showed serious discrepancies that point to fraudulent documents. Among the list of voters are Ian Smith, the last white prime minister of Rhodesia, and Desmond Lardner-Burke, former law and order minister. Smith died in South Africa last year and Ladner-Burke passed almost 30 years ago.
Other deceased on the lists include the first two opposition activists that were killed during the 2000 campaign and two farmers who were killed during the country's government-sanctioned land seizures.
Mugabe fought back in an attempt to save face and turn the tables on the media for spreading lies.
International observers and media organizations have already been barred from covering the elections.
This is hardly the first time Mugabe has come under fire for such outlandish campaign methods.
But now he's going in to his toughest election in 28 years. (Mugabe has been in power since Rhodesia--as Zimbabwe was formerly known--gained independence from Britain in 1980.) Tomorrow he goes head-to-head with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and former finance minister and ruling party loyalist Simba Makoni.
With all the controvery surrounding tomorrow's big vote, security service chiefs are standing guard in case of a violent revolt. They're hoping to avoid Kenya-style post-election bloodshed, which would only spur even direr consequences for the already collapsing economy.
Saturday's election is key to Zimbabwe's survival. The result could make or break the former Breadbasket of Africa, plunging its economy deeper into crisis or pulling it out of the wreckage to rebuild this once flourishing nation.
