Waiting in Hope

Today is the forth day after the national harmonised elections. March 29 was a critical day for Zimbabwe. People went to vote in order to bring to an end, once and for all, the suffering that they have endured for almost a decade. This year has been particularly painful for Zimbabweans. With inflation in the regions of 200000% the cost of living in Zimbabwe has become acutely painful. Domestic workers earn $500million dollars a month which is just about one US dollar. In the first three months of the year the prices of basic commodities has increased hundreds of times. It is a wonder that people are still alive. They are barely making it, just surviving. The essential service delivery system has all collapsed. Unemploymetn at +80% is more the norm than the exception. So, the just ended election was looked upon by all as thier only chance for a change. A change of the regime that has throttled the life of the nation in the last 8 years. Between two presidential contestants, Morgan Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni, most urban voters were not very clear who they wanted. But that was not a big problem. What people were absolutely clear about, what they knew and wanted, was for Mugabe to go. So they voted with their feet. All they wanted to see on their presidential ballot paper was that the space next to Mugabe remained blank, unchecked, when they dropped it into the box. Then the waiting began. Waiting for the announcement of the presidential ballot has been painfully long delayed. On Sunday people had begun to gather information posted outside the polling stations. Messages were criss-crossing the country and by end of the day the results were public knowledge. People were tremendously enthused by the result which clearly favoured the exit of Mugabe. Already by Sunday people began to feel great about the new era that had dawned upon the land. They felt a great sence of efficacy for they had brouhgt about their own emancipation through the ballot. They had given one last chance to democracy, perchance, before they died. For death in one of the byproducts of the regime that they are desperately fighting to overthrow. There were cautious celebrations, and whispers of joy. People could not wait to erupt with jubilation on the announcement of the election result. On Monday the reality dawned on the nation that the announcement of the result was not going to come so easily. The Zimbabwe Election Commission began announcing parlimanetary poll results very slowly. They announced the same set of results three times in English, Shona and Ndebele. It was needless to do that - it would have sufficed to announce the result once in English. The announcement was not orderly and they shuffled randomly between the constituents. We have had to endure painfully for 3 days the announcement of the parliamentary election, even as we wait for the presidential election result. It has been very anxiety provoking. I have seen people looking absolutely dejected and hopeless. What seemed to have depressed people most is the thought that Mugabe was trying to manipulate the vote result by announcing it so slowly. People could not imagine another stolen election, another dubious Mugabe victory and another five years under this regime. If there is anything that the people of Zimbabwe want so badly now it is the truth, and they know that the truth is that they have voted Mugabe out. So why can't we just have it? Waiting for the presidential result has been a real test on hope. It has been more painful, arguably, than the 8 years that Mugabe has pontificated over the ruin of this country. How can one sustain hope in a situation like this? How can one remain motivated to live, to work and to go on with life? Can there be a hope that hopes beyond this hopelessness?