Zimbabwe's Brutal Inertia.

[Photo: Wash. Po.]

Robert Mugabe bludgeoned and tortured his way to a sixth term, even amid a growing chorus of  condemnations. Condi Rice called the votes a “sham” and the U.S. considered tightening sanctions, though that seems much more likely to hurt the many poor people in Zimbabwe rather than Mugabe and his top brass in ZANU-PF. But South Africa and China, two countries whose pressure might do a lot of good, are erring on the side of regional stability.

A lot of folks just stayed home from the voting centers, even though they faced beatings or maiming for doing so.

Oddly, when Friday’s election results are announced, the tally may prove an embarrassment to Mr. Mugabe. He could win by too much. “They’ll have to give Tsvangirai at least 30 percent to make things look realistic,” said Mike Davies, the chairman of the Combined Harare Residents Association, one of the nation’s largest civic groups.

“That’ll be one of the bizarre ironies of the situation here,” he said. “ZANU will have to rejigger the results from the frightened masses, taking votes from themselves.”

More:

  • Kristof says African leaders should deal with Mugabe the way they’ve dealt white racist regimes in the past.
  • An anonymous Zimbabwean writes in an op-ed in the WP that his father’s support of Mugabe hasn’t shielded him from destitution.
  • The NYT has a haunting slideshow with some Zimbabwean voters, who had their pinkies tipped with pink ink, and some who opted not to vote at all. “I’m not voting at all because the outcome is still the same,” one woman said, covering her face. “Mugabe still wins. I’m not worried about having ink on my finger. Ink or not, it is the same — they will beat us.”
G.D.

G.D.

Gene "G.D." Demby is the founder and editor of PostBourgie. In his day job, he blogs and reports on race and ethnicity for NPR's Code Switch team.
G.D.